Take Cover
by st.elmo-lover
Summary: Tyler's twin sister is back after two years and the Covenants not so happy about it. Actually has a plot by the way.
1. Robby Adams

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Covenant members or any other chaacter except Pro. Dantley and Robby Adams.**

**Edited on July 17, 2010**

_"Everything's not always sunshine and flowers, you should know that by now!" He snapped, his voice cold and full of venom._

_She stepped back as if she had felt his blow physically, but that's exactly what it felt like. His words had hit her with the force of a thousand flying daggers. Her mind hadn't caught up with what he was saying but her body seemed to comprehend everything because there were already tears in her eyes, harsh tears that were unwelcome and betraying and they slipped through her barriers._

_"We're done. I just can't do this anymore." His voice had gotten somewhat softer but not by much. It was still as cold as it had started out to be, still so uncaring. She took a few seconds to drift away and wonder where it had all gone wrong, when she had become too oblivious to the fact that he was getting colder and colder. And now his cold stare was directed at her._

_It was over. After all this time and all these trials it was over._

_"Well, that's alright." She surprised herself. She hadn't even been thinking of speaking but somehow the words escaped her. She could feel her bottom lip quiver as she tried to make herself smile. "I'm moving anyway." _

_It had been her original news. She had gone there, all the way to his apartment to tell him, face to face, that she was moving...all the way across the country._

_She had been surprised at the cold stare that greeted her and had asked him what was wrong. That had started it all, the whole downfall. Now she could finally get her news out, now that it didn't matter._

_"I'll see you," were her final words before she walked numbly through the door and down the hall. She made it half way down the first flight of stairs before she collapsed and cried her eyes out._

Two years. It had been two years since she had seen the building of Spencer and she surprisingly hadn't missed it at all. But, she had been away from Cali for a total of 12 hours and she was already pinning for its beautiful weather and its tanned people.

She found it amazing that one event could change a person's outlook on their hometown. She also found it amazing that you could never really get over the pain of said event if it did in fact make you hate your hometown, the very place she was born and raised.

The fact of the matter was, though, that her opinion didn't matter. She could remember her father's words clearly.

'You need to be in a set school. You skip left and right and I can't keep track of you. You're living with your aunt and that's final'.

She snorted to herself. Like he even cared what she was doing and when she was doing it. His exact words hadn't meant squat when it came down to it. She had left without his permission. He was dying anyway…

Please.

"Robyn Adams," the secretary called as she stepped out of her no doubt cramped office.

Robby slowly but surely pushed herself to a standing position and took her time following the lady into her office. It was cramped and small. Full of papers and it looked like it used to be a closet.

"Here's your schedule and you already know your room number. Here's the swim team practice schedule. That's all."

_Well that was pointless_, Robby thought as she took the papers from the older lady and walked back out again. She looked down and scanned her list of classes before sighing with distaste. She remembered every single one of these teachers and she hated them too.

She lugged her back-pack further up on her shoulder and headed towards the first one on her list. She knew for a fact that she was going to be interrupting and she also knew that Professor Dantley was going to try his hardest to embarrass her.

Little geeky Robby who had a nick name that belonged to a boy.

Robby rolled her eyes on instinct and reached for the door handle. The little bursts of chatter and whispering in the room ceased as she walked in, trying to be as care free as possible.

"Ah!" Professor Dantley's annoying voice popped up. "I was wondering when you were going to interrupt my class Ms. Simms." He was smirking at her, actually smirking.

"I'm sure you all remember Robby here." He put special emphasis on her name and she had to clench her jaw to keep from saying anything. "We made room for you next to your favorite person." He went on, pointing to about the seventh row up. Robby's eyes zeroed in on it and she made her way up, not paying attention to the stares. No doubt the people were contemplating on what had happened to little geeky Robby Simms.

She slowly made her way over and around peoples' legs and towards her seat before plunking down and turning her stare back to the professor. He was smirking at her again and she wished she could just wipe that smirk right off of his face.

"Two years." It was whispered so the professor couldn't hear it and obviously he didn't since he turned back to his black board and started writing again.

"What?" She snapped as she turned to glare at the person on her left side. The threat she was about to issue stopped in her throat and she found herself gagging for air.

"Like you care," a voice from her right snapped at the person on her left. She turned her head the other way to find another person she was very familiar with.

"Aaron," she said, her voice void of interest as she leaned forward to stare at the girl on Aaron's right. She was hanging all over him, running her fingers through his hair, and Robby found it quite amusing.

"Not a geek anymore I see," Robby added as she leaned back again, a smirk on her face.

"Nope," was Aaron's cool reply.

Robby was pointedly ignoring the person on her left and she had no intention of acknowledging him until he latched his hand on to hers.

"Two years," he said again, his voice a harsh whisper.

"Get over it!" She snapped at him.

"I can't believe you!" He bit out, turning to glare at her pointedly.

"Listen, twin," she started to snap but stopped herself as she suddenly realized that the professor had gone quite. She took a small peak around, her heart racing as she realized her and her twin were currently the center of attention.

"Problem?" The professor questioned, smirking again.

"No!" They both bit out at the same time.

"Then shut up!" The professor snapped back.

"You never called and you never wrote! Did you know how worried I was?" He bit out once the professor wasn't paying attention anymore.

"Does mom feel the same?" She bit back harshly, tempted to just shove him out of his chair.

Needless to say, that got him to shut up until she was storming out of the room thirty minutes later when class was over.

But he wasn't alone.

The rest of them had come along for the ride, too.

"I can't believe you!" Tyler continued when he finally caught up to her, stepping in front of her in the middle of the front campus of Spencer. "You just come back without a word and I don't even find out till today?" He was shaking his head in obvious disgust but she couldn't find it in her heart to care.

"Well, I guess we're even. You're the one that let mom ship me off with dad in the first place because you didn't want to come with me. No, you couldn't leave this precious place behind!" She snapped, throwing her bag to the floor as she stepped up to his face. Naturally she was a bit shorter than him but she made up for it in anger.

"Oh, so everything's my fault?" He questioned, barely keeping his rage in check.

"Well, I didn't get any phone calls from you either. Or any letters! It's not like everything is one sided!" She told him, finally pushing him away. He staggered back a few steps but regained his footing and walked back to his previous position, right in front of her.

Her cold eyes flashed dangerously at him as she thought about how much she hated looking into her own eyes. She knew her twin brother's held the same anger her own held. It was like looking into a mirror and she hated it. She hated looking like him, like her mother. She hated being reminded of her mother in anyway. It just made the pain all that worse.

"Calm down, Baby Boy," a voice said. One of them was finally coming to their friend's defense and Robby couldn't help but wonder what took them so long. "I'm sure she's got a good enough reason..." the voice trailed off as if waiting for Robby to fill in the blank but she never got the chance.

"No, she doesn't have a good reason. She never does."

"Oh, I'm the irresponsible brat now, huh? I'm the one that had to move across the country into a shaggy apartment and go to a crappy school. You're the one who got to live here with all the money and the friends and the fun."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit!" He shot back, disgust written on his face. She growled in anger and thought about hitting him upside the head or something, anything to knock some sense into him.

"What are you doing back in Ipswich?" Another new voice asked. Robby turned, her glare setting on the person she hated most of all.

"What does it matter?" She growled out finally, her lip curling on it's on and her face contorting into a look of pure tiredness.

"It does matter!" Tyler yelled, flinging his arm out as if to hit her. Reid blocked the blow, surprisingly enough, but Robby found herself wishing he would have done it anyway...


	2. Sunshine and Flowers

**Edited on July 17, 2010**

_"Everything's not always sunshine and flowers, you should know that by now!" He snapped, his voice cold and full of venom._

_She stepped back as if she had felt his blow physically, but that's exactly what it felt like. His words had hit her with the force of a thousand flying daggers. Her mind hadn't caught up with what he was saying but her body seemed to comprehend everything because there were already tears in her eyes, harsh tears that were unwelcome and betraying and they slipped through her barriers._

_"We're done. I just can't do this anymore." His voice had gotten somewhat softer but not by much. It was still as cold as it had started out to be, still so uncaring. She took a few seconds to drift away and wonder where it had all gone wrong, when she had become too oblivious to the fact that he was getting colder and colder. And now his cold stare was directed at her._

_It was over. After all this time and all these trials it was over._

_"Well, that's alright." She surprised herself. She hadn't even been thinking of speaking but somehow the words escaped her. She could feel her bottom lip quiver as she tried to make herself smile. "I'm moving anyway." _

_It had been her original news. She had gone there, all the way to his apartment to tell him, face to face, that she was moving...all the way across the country._

_She had been surprised at the cold stare that greeted her and had asked him what was wrong. That had started it all, the whole downfall. Now she could finally get her news out, now that it didn't matter._

_"I'll see you," were her final words before she walked numbly through the door and down the hall. She made it half way down the first flight of stairs before she collapsed and cried her eyes out._

_Two years. It had been two years since she had seen the building of Spencer and she surprisingly hadn't missed it at all. But, she had been away from Cali for a total of 12 hours and she was already pinning for its beautiful weather and its tanned people._

_She found it amazing that one event could change a person's outlook on their hometown. She also found it amazing that you could never really get over the pain of said event if it did in fact make you hate your hometown, the very place she was born and raised._

_The fact of the matter was, though, that her opinion didn't matter. She could remember her father's words clearly._

_'You need to be in a set school. You skip left and right and I can't keep track of you. You're living with your aunt and that's final'._

_She snorted to herself. Like he even cared what she was doing and when she was doing it. His exact words hadn't meant squat when it came down to it. She had left without his permission. He was dying anyway…_

_Please._

_"Robyn Adams," the secretary called as she stepped out of her no doubt cramped office._

_Robby slowly but surely pushed herself to a standing position and took her time following the lady into her office. It was cramped and small. Full of papers and it looked like it used to be a closet._

_"Here's your schedule and you already know your room number. Here's the swim team practice schedule. That's all."_

_Well that was pointless, Robby thought as she took the papers from the older lady and walked back out again. She looked down and scanned her list of classes before sighing with distaste. She remembered every single one of these teachers and she hated them too._

_She lugged her back-pack further up on her shoulder and headed towards the first one on her list. She knew for a fact that she was going to be interrupting and she also knew that Professor Dantley was going to try his hardest to embarrass her._

_Little geeky Robby who had a nick name that belonged to a boy._

_Robby rolled her eyes on instinct and reached for the door handle. The little bursts of chatter and whispering in the room ceased as she walked in, trying to be as care free as possible._

_"Ah!" Professor Dantley's annoying voice popped up. "I was wondering when you were going to interrupt my class Ms. Simms." He was smirking at her, actually smirking._

_"I'm sure you all remember Robby here." He put special emphasis on her name and she had to clench her jaw to keep from saying anything. "We made room for you next to your favorite person." He went on, pointing to about the seventh row up. Robby's eyes zeroed in on it and she made her way up, not paying attention to the stares. No doubt the people were contemplating on what had happened to little geeky Robby Simms._

_She slowly made her way over and around peoples' legs and towards her seat before plunking down and turning her stare back to the professor. He was smirking at her again and she wished she could just wipe that smirk right off of his face._

_"Two years." It was whispered so the professor couldn't hear it and obviously he didn't since he turned back to his black board and started writing again._

_"What?" She snapped as she turned to glare at the person on her left side. The threat she was about to issue stopped in her throat and she found herself gagging for air._

_"Like you care," a voice from her right snapped at the person on her left. She turned her head the other way to find another person she was very familiar with._

_"Aaron," she said, her voice void of interest as she leaned forward to stare at the girl on Aaron's right. She was hanging all over him, running her fingers through his hair, and Robby found it quite amusing._

_"Not a geek anymore I see," Robby added as she leaned back again, a smirk on her face._

_"Nope," was Aaron's cool reply._

_Robby was pointedly ignoring the person on her left and she had no intention of acknowledging him until he latched his hand on to hers._

_"Two years," he said again, his voice a harsh whisper._

_"Get over it!" She snapped at him._

_"I can't believe you!" He bit out, turning to glare at her pointedly._

_"Listen, twin," she started to snap but stopped herself as she suddenly realized that the professor had gone quite. She took a small peak around, her heart racing as she realized her and her twin were currently the center of attention._

_"Problem?" The professor questioned, smirking again._

_"No!" They both bit out at the same time._

_"Then shut up!" The professor snapped back._

_"You never called and you never wrote! Did you know how worried I was?" He bit out once the professor wasn't paying attention anymore._

_"Does mom feel the same?" She bit back harshly, tempted to just shove him out of his chair._

_Needless to say, that got him to shut up until she was storming out of the room thirty minutes later when class was over._

_But he wasn't alone._

_The rest of them had come along for the ride, too._

_"I can't believe you!" Tyler continued when he finally caught up to her, stepping in front of her in the middle of the front campus of Spencer. "You just come back without a word and I don't even find out till today?" He was shaking his head in obvious disgust but she couldn't find it in her heart to care._

_"Well, I guess we're even. You're the one that let mom ship me off with dad in the first place because you didn't want to come with me. No, you couldn't leave this precious place behind!" She snapped, throwing her bag to the floor as she stepped up to his face. Naturally she was a bit shorter than him but she made up for it in anger._

_"Oh, so everything's my fault?" He questioned, barely keeping his rage in check._

_"Well, I didn't get any phone calls from you either. Or any letters! It's not like everything is one sided!" She told him, finally pushing him away. He staggered back a few steps but regained his footing and walked back to his previous position, right in front of her._

_Her cold eyes flashed dangerously at him as she thought about how much she hated looking into her own eyes. She knew her twin brother's held the same anger her own held. It was like looking into a mirror and she hated it. She hated looking like him, like her mother. She hated being reminded of her mother in anyway. It just made the pain all that worse._

_"Calm down, Baby Boy," a voice said. One of them was finally coming to their friend's defense and Robby couldn't help but wonder what took them so long. "I'm sure she's got a good enough reason..." the voice trailed off as if waiting for Robby to fill in the blank but she never got the chance._

_"No, she doesn't have a good reason. She never does."_

_"Oh, I'm the irresponsible brat now, huh? I'm the one that had to move across the country into a shaggy apartment and go to a crappy school. You're the one who got to live here with all the money and the friends and the fun."_

_"Oh, don't give me that bullshit!" He shot back, disgust written on his face. She growled in anger and thought about hitting him upside the head or something, anything to knock some sense into him._

_"What are you doing back in Ipswich?" Another new voice asked. Robby turned, her glare setting on the person she hated most of all._

_"What does it matter?" She growled out finally, her lip curling on it's on and her face contorting into a look of pure tiredness._

_"It does matter!" Tyler yelled, flinging his arm out as if to hit her. Reid blocked the blow, surprisingly enough, but Robby found herself wishing he would have done it anyway..._

She was just itching for a reason to hit him but she didn't want to look like the bad guy. Everyone always looked at Tyler as the innocent little boy that never said anything and just did what he was told, but she knew better.

"Where are you staying?" Reid asked suddenly. Through her death glare at Tyler, Robby barely realized that Reid was trying to get her off track, to get her to calm down, and she was determined for it not to work.

"The dorms," she said. "Where else?"

"I'll walk you there. You need to calm down," he told her, his eyes were a cross between narrowed and wide and Robby couldn't quiet place the expression on his face but she hated it anyway.

"I'll walk her," _he _put in and Robby scowled in his direction.

"I'll walk her," Caleb put in, his first words through the whole thing.

Robby always knew he would grow up to be one of those keeping the peace type of guys.

"None of you will walk me, you dicks. I can walk to the doors by myself, damn it." She made a grunt of anger and disgust before turning back towards Tyler. He was still fuming in front of her and she wanted nothing more than to reach out and smack the scowl off of his face, but her conscious wouldn't allow it.

She was supposed to be being the bigger person through all this but for some reason it wasn't working out for her (not like anything did anyway).

She started on her way, absentmindedly walking in the direction of the dorms without even meaning to. She was too mad to think about anything else and she really didn't care where she ended up. As long as wherever she was didn't contain one of the 'boys', she didn't care.

"She said she didn't want you to walk her!" A yell sounded and she knew in the back of her mind that one of them was following her and she knew it wouldn't be Tyler.

"What's your problem?" _His _voice was strong and cut through her thoughts with a sharp jab. She whipped around, her dark hair flying in her face.

She wondered if her eyes were still angry and dark and hoped to God they were. She wanted to look threatening and mean in front of him, maybe he would get the point.

"Everything's not always sunshine and flowers, you should know that by now," she threw at him, hoping it would cut deeper than it had cut her all those years ago. Somehow, though, she thought that impossible.

He winced visibly and Robby had to bite her lip to keep from crying out with joy. She had hurt him. For once she was doing the hurting and he was the one on the receiving end.

"Robby…" He started. His voice almost sounded threatening but she knew better. He couldn't threaten her, not of all the people he knew. She was the last person he would even think about threatening.

"Just go away, Pogue. I told you I didn't want you to walk me and I mean it. I. Don't. Want. You. Here," she said the last part slowly for him, hoping he would get the drift. His face contorted in anger for a few seconds before vanishing and slipping under his cool mask of indifference.

She almost sighed in disappointment. She remembered when they were kids, how many years it had taken her to get him to open up to her, and now they were back to the beginning again.

_It doesn't matter_, she tried to convince herself.

"Don't be like that," he told her, his voice strong.

"I'll be however I want."

She let go, let it flow through her until she was completely sunken. She could feel it coursing through her veins and she let it build up before her eyes turned black and then she exploded. A strong wave hit him and sent him a few feet back so he was doubled over and looking like a howling dog in pain.

She smiled in satisfaction, her eyes still pure black as the power swept over her.

The taste of revenge was sweet and she wasn't about to let it go.

She grunted in pain just a few seconds later as she herself was swept back a few feet. She somehow managed to land on the meaty part of her ass, which hurt just as bad as landing anywhere else.

She groaned in pain and her eyes returned to normal before she closed them.

The process of crawling to her feet began and she grumbled and whispered curses as pain shot through her arse and up and down her legs.

"You just wait," she said under her breath as she dusted off her back side and turned away from him. She had to fight off the urge to rub her aching ass and instead took to walking with dignity, no matter how much it hurt her to do so. She could feel his eyes on her back and part of her wished he would run after her, would yell at her to stop so he could apologize.

But it never came and she was foolish to even think the thought in the first place.

It wasn't until about fifteen feet later that she stopped and took a minute to gather herself. She was tired from Using and her head was aching from unshed tears, but she refused to admit that any of them had made her cry. The mere thought of the look on Tyler's face made new tears spring to her eyes and she knew if she stood there any longer she would cry and crying just wasn't her style anymore.

It was a long walk to Nicky's, a long walk that she needed. She had forgotten how much she had liked the place two years ago and how much fun it had been to dance around and play pool.

She remembered Aaron always hanging out in the corner with her, just the two of them. The two nerds were always together and they never liked it any other way.

She couldn't believe how much it had changed already and her head swam with the thoughts of it all. By the time she got to the place it was already dark outside and the park lot was full of cars. Teenagers were ready to wind down and let loose and so was Robby.

A smile spread across her face when she saw Aaron making his way over and she realized it was her first real smile in a long time. It felt weird and misplaced on her lips but it felt good at the same time.

_At least I remember how_, she thought vaguely as she met Aaron in the middle and embraced him.

"So now we can finally catch up," she told him with a nod. His smile wasn't very wide and it didn't look very true. In fact, it kind of looked forced.

"What's wrong?" She asked him as she took a step closer to him, her right hand placed on the inside of his elbow.

"You should probably know…." He trailed off and his eyes drifted to a place behind Robby. She turned to follow his gaze and realized the 'Boys' were just behind them at a table and they were all staring at her. The thought crossed her mind to flip them the bird but then she remembered that Aaron had something to tell her.

"What?" She urged as she turned back, her hand tightening on his arm.

"You're brother," she flinched at the word before he continued, "and his friends and me, we're not exactly friends. Actually, we piss each other off…a lot."

"Well, that really doesn't matter," Robby said with a sort of angry smile. "I'm not on speaking terms with any of them anyway."

He raised an eyebrow at her but she shook her head, her sign that she didn't want to talk about it. His only response was a nod before she turned around and headed towards their table, a determined look on her face.

Tyler's eyes were filled with fire as she came closer but she shrugged it off and forced her gaze to Pogue. Her eyes flickered black and before he knew it his drink was spilling into his lap and she was already walking past them.

She had to bit her lip to keep her snicker in as he jumped up and moved away from the table, brushing at his semi-tight pants as he did so. He glared at her as she passed. He obviously knew that she had been the one to do it and she took pride in that fact.

_It's only the beginning_, she thought as she made a bee line for the juke-box.


	3. Witchy!

**Edited July 17, 2010**

"I hate you," she whined at Aaron as he flicked yet another fry in her direction, laughing all the while. This particular fry had made its lovely way down her shirt, perfect aim in Aaron's opinion, and he was now almost rolling on the floor with laughter as she tried to dig it out. Her hair held a few globes of ketchup in it from their recent mini food fight and she knew she had to smell like old grease. Either Aaron didn't mind, or decided not to pay attention, because he didn't say anything about it.

"You don't hate me," he shot back with a wide grin. "You love me."

"Well you got a little cocky over the years," Robby shot back at him, giving a fake roll of her eyes and a toss of a fry in his direction.

"What can I say, I'm wanted," he told her, slicking his hair back playfully before laughing.

"You know, you're probably ruining your image," she realized as she stared around Nicky's. A few pairs of eyes here and there were directed at the pair while others pretended not to be looking.

_Of course_, she thought, the arrogant and cocky Aaron isn't supposed to have fun or laugh.

"Don't worry," he said with a shrug. "I'm sure by the end of the night I can con you into making some dramatic scene to uphold my reputation," he smirked at her again, that cocky smirk that said he was hot and he knew it.

She rolled her eyes again and was about to retaliate but was interrupted by Reid.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He questioned, slinging his arm over the back of her chair and squatting down next to her. He glared at Aaron for a few seconds before actually turning his gaze to Robby.

"Hmm..." she started, as if thinking. "No," she said finally with a curt nod. She turned back to Aaron, trying to ignore the fact that Reid hadn't left yet and probably wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"Reid…" she started before stopping to take a calming breath."I said no and I mean no. So can you leave now?"

"No," he told her shortly, nodding his head in Tyler's direction. "He's really bent out of shape about this whole thing," he said. His voice almost sounded sincere which almost made it believable (almost, being the key word).

"Yeah, right, Reid. He looks really bent out of shape and that girl he's flirting with makes it that much more believable."

"Ok..." he paused for a second."So, he's not bent out of shape, he's pissed off. But we should really fix this. I mean, you're back. We should be celebrating, not yelling at each other."

"Reid," she snapped, finally turning to look at him, "you just want a reason to party."

She could tell that Reid had just barely caught himself before he smirked which was great conformation for her afore mentioned thought. Reid would do anything to get a party going and including play off of Robby and Tyler's suffering relationship.

"Get a life, Reid!" She screamed at him before pushing away from the table with a squeak and rushing towards the door. She could feel the anger burning inside of her and she knew if she didn't get outside soon she would probably end up doing something stupid like making out with some random guy. And she so wasn't going to let that happen.

The door swung open with a heavy push from her hand and she sprang outside and down the steps. She hadn't even realized that in her anger she had used the back door.

A lone light shone just above her and she shivered as the wind blew in her direction. If she had her choice, she would have been back in Cali, living it up in the sun with her friends.

This hell hole was not her idea of fun, let alone a life. She shivered again as she wrapped her arms around herself and made her way towards the front of the building. She didn't want to stay here any longer. It wasn't like she had anything to do besides hang with Aaron and be watched by the Sons anyway.

She snorted with irritation as she thought of Reid and his annoying behavior. He never could just grow a pair and say what he wanted to say.

"You're right, Reid probably doesn't have a pair," a voice said from behind her. She turned quickly to come face to face with Pogue. She sighed and gave him a hard glare.

"We made a pact," she reminded him.

"Yeah, well, you left."

It was almost a snarl and she realized with distaste that he was still angry at her.

"Listen-" she started but was cut off.

"Don't," was all he said with a shake of his head. A few seconds later he was shrugging off his leather jacket and dangling it in front of her.

"What?" She asked him with a snotty shrug of her shoulders.

"Take the jacket. I'll take you home." He said. His voice suggested that he was talking to some five year-old that was scared of him.

"And if I don't?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll make you," was his simple reply. She let out a snort of laughter and wondered if he really thought he could get her on the back of his bike by force. She could, after all, just throw herself off again. She smirked at the thought of his face after she jumped off and then snapped back to reality to stare at him.

"No you won't," she threatened, slapping the jacket away and starting towards the woods again. She could hear him sigh from behind her, even over the wind, and she knew he had just added it for dramatic effect. He was enjoying this. She could feel it.

Her eyes seemed to turn black the same time his did. He was pulling her towards him and she was pulling away from him, a battle of power. She knew he would win eventually, unless she used some other way to distract him so she could split.

"Hey Aaron!" She said suddenly. Pogue's power seemed to drain and Robby shot forward, running at break neck speed towards the woods.

She thanked God when she finally stopped in the woods, worn out from all her Using.

_I don't have the strength to face him anyway_, she told herself before she started walking again. Her heart beat like mad and she tried to calm it down so she could catch her breath. Pictures of the Sons flashed through her mind and she wondered briefly if things would ever get fixed.

_Not if you keep avoiding them_, she reminded herself as she walked.

It was like a constant battle, wanting to be with them again and not wanting to be with them. She couldn't make up her mind and it was hard to keep from thinking about it all the time.

"You Use too much," a voice snapped from behind her. She turned to send a death glare in Reid's direction. She was sure now that Pogue and Reid were double teaming her.

"And you stalk too much!" She threw back at him before stalking further into the woods.

_Just another mile_, she reminded herself as she fought to contain her anger.

"I'm not stalking you!" He protested, following behind her.

"Don't you have a girlfriend to hang out with somewhere," she scoffed before he could say anything else. She moved a branch out of her way and made sure it snapped back with force. He let out a strangled cry and she knew she had hit him.

"Hey," he started. Something new was in his voice. She turned to look at him, for once seeing he had a serious expression on his face. "You remember that time when we were thirteen and had just gotten our powers? You jumped off the top of your father's three-story mansion and all the rest of us tried to use our powers to help you land on your feet. And then Tyler messed up and you ended up breaking your leg? You wouldn't speak to him for weeks after that but then he brought you flowers one day and you just forgave him out of the blue. This is kind of like that. You'll forgive each other."

She almost smiled at the memory but caught herself just in time. She remembered how angry she had gotten that her own twin had actually let her fall. She remembered, too, the pain she had been in when she hit the ground and the look on Tyler's face.

"It's not going to happen like that," Robby told him with a sad shake of her head. "This is way worse than that," she added before turning around to keep walking.

"No, it's not," he protested, running to jump in front of her. "This is just some stupid thing you guys are dragging out and making worse because you're both stubborn. You both need to get over it."

"You get over it," she said lamely. He broke out into laughter.

"I don't have to get over it. I wasn't heartbroken like the rest of them." His smile fell a few seconds later as he realized how bad he had just sounded.

"Oh, that's great. I'm so glad my leaving didn't affect the great Reid," she told him with an angry nod.

"T-that's not what I meant," he started to stutter out as he tried to stop her once again from leaving.

"Oh you so totally meant that and you know it!" She shrieked at him over her shoulder.

She could hear him sigh before she turned back and when she did she was smiling.

"Don't worry, Reid, you're still my favorite!" She called a few minutes later, even louder this time.

"Let's start a riot, a riot. Let's start a riot. Let's start a riot, a riot. Let's start a riot," Robby sang softly as she walked on. Her voice was off tune and it was cracking on a few notes but she only laughed...for a few seconds.

She turned quickly when she heard a twig snap to the left of her and her face contorted in confusion.

"Reid?" She called out. She listened intently and recognized the sound of footsteps on dried leaves. "It's not funny anymore. You can stop following me," she called out again, her voice full of exasperation.

The footsteps continued, drawing closer to her but at the same time keeping a slow pace.

She turned in every direction trying to see Reid and where he was coming from. When she didn't see him, she called out again.

"Please stop, Reid. You're scaring me!" Her voice quivered in the woods and echoed a few times before dying down again, leaving her with the sounds of her own breathing and the other person's footsteps.

She twirled in every direction again, trying as hard as she could to locate the direction of the footsteps.

A twig snapped again and she jumped in fright, her nerves telling her danger was lurking nearby. Her heart raced as she tried again to locate the person.

Nothing.

Her eyes finally turned black, the power building up inside of her as she opened her link to Reid.

"**Reid**," she said mentally, waiting for his response.

"**What?**" He questioned back, his voice echoing in her head as if it were empty.

"**Please tell me you're following me right now,**" she replied, her voice mentally quivering.

"**No. I'm back at Nicky's,**" he said in a 'duh' tone.

"**Are you lying?**" She asked as she twirled around again. It sounded like twigs were snapping all around her and she couldn't figure out if there was just one person or if there were more.

"**No. Why would I lie?**" He said back. His voice was questioning and he sounded slightly worried now.

"**I'm still in the woods,**" she told him. "**There's someone following me,**" she told him. Her voice was full of panic now and she twirled again.

"**It's not me,**" he said sincerely. His voice was dangerously low and he sounded on edge.

Robby turned again, as the twigs started to snap more often. Her breathing quickened even more, if possible, and she tried her best to calm down. She was a witch after all and she could protect herself. Right?

Another twig snapped and her nerves got the best of her as she took off at a dead run.

For the first few seconds she couldn't hear anyone following her and then she heard it. It sounded like someone was breathing in her ear, more like panting. She turned again, her head whipping from side to side as she held in a scream. Twigs snapped in front of her and behind her and to the sides over and over again.

Her head pounded in her ears as she turned around. There was fog, unnatural fog. It was everywhere, blocking her vision.

"**Help me, Reid,**" she panted on her mental link as her heart raced. She tripped suddenly, on some kind of log and she hustled to her feet and turned around, looking at where she had just come from. She couldn't see anything but fog and couldn't hear anything but twigs breaking.

She turned sharply again, back to the direction she was going and realized suddenly that there was a hill she hadn't seen before. It dropped almost straight down and she took a few seconds to thank God she hadn't fallen down it. She whipped around again and screamed loudly. Her own scream echoed in her head and she realized she was sending it to Reid too.

A face stood in front of her in the fog, smirking evilly. Her eyes closed as she plunged backwards in fright and then she was falling, more like tumbling, down the hill. She did a few summersaults and then rolled. Her hair was getting caught on branches and twigs and she could feel random things cutting into her back and arms. She could feel her pace increasing as she fell and she knew she had to be reaching the end sooner or later.

Her pace started to slow again a few minutes later but it didn't matter. She barely saw it out of the corner of her eye, a big rock right in her path that she was bound to hit.

She would have cursed if she was able but she wasn't and the rock was in front of her before she knew.

She cried out in pain as the back of her head connected with it and then the front. She finally stopped rolling, her vision going black as she struggled against the pain. And then she was gone.

Reid doubled over suddenly as the sound of Robby's scream sounded in his head, echoing for a few seconds before slowly fading out. His eyes watered as his head throbbed painfully. It took him a few seconds to gather himself before he straightened up again and made his way towards Caleb, Kate, and Pogue.

"Can I talk to them for a minute?" He asked Kate as she blinked the water from his eyes.

"Sure…" she said slowly as she looked between the three. A few seconds later she was getting up and heading towards the other side of the bar.

"Robby's in trouble," Reid said urgently as he slumped into the chair Kate had just left.

"What do you mean she's in trouble?" Pogue asked with a raised eyebrow and a confused expression.

"She was out in the woods after you tried to give her a ride home and I followed her. We talked for a couple of minutes and then she left so I came back. She started talking to me a few minutes ago, through the link," he stopped to take a breath. "And she asked me if I was following her. When I said no she started freaking out. And then she told me to help her. I was coming over here when she screamed like someone was attacking her."


	4. Dogs

**Edited on December 13, 2010**

**Author's Note: Long over do, took me forever to write...and totally sucks balls. But I suppose, if you want to, you're going to read it anyway. Hey, a girl can hope! Sorry it took so long guys. This is what I got after a while of writers block and I'm sorry it's crappy. If it's too crappy, I'll probably take it off. :D So let me know...**

Robby groaned as she finally came to. She could feel her own warm, sticky blood flowing from a few cuts on her arms. She moved her head from side to side like she was testing to make sure it wouldn't fall off. To her, though, it sure did feel like it would. She let a curse fly as she tried to move her right arm only to find it wouldn't move. She looked down at it and shuddered at what she saw. Bone was sticking out of her wrist accompanied with blood.

"**Reid**?" She questioned over her link, even in her head her voice was raspy and unused.

"**Robby,**" came his reply almost immediately. He sounded like he was relieved, worried, and angry, all at the same time. "**Where are you**?" He asked.

"**Somewhere in the woods**," she replied tiredly, already knowing he was going to shower her with questions.

"**Are you ok**?" He continued, his voice taking on a little more tenderness.

"**No**!" Robby snapped irritably. She took a peek at her wrist and made sure Reid got a glimpse of it as well.

"**That's disgusting**!" He snapped at her and she could picture him in her mind with a disgusted look. She almost laughed…and then a twig snapped above her. Panic rose in her throat and she tried with all her might to get up. A few seconds of struggling passed and then, like a boulder, Pogue jumped from the cliff above to land on his feet a few seconds later.

"You look like crap." He said in a strong, deep voice.

"Pogue," she half whined, half rasped. "Just help me up," she told him, giving him a glimpse of her puppy dog eyes.

"I think I'll leave you down there," he said after a few seconds of mock thought.

"**Reid**," she whined through her link again, "**tell Pogue to leave me alone**."

"**What are you talking about**?" Pogue snapped before Reid could answer. "**I'm right next to Reid**," he explained, bewilderment evident in his voice.

"**This isn't funny you guys**!" She yelled at them, finally getting angry.

"What's not funny?" She heard, though this time the voice was right in front of her. She tilted her head up a bit.

She cried out in fright, what was once Pogue was now Reid. She scrambled backwards and screamed in agony as she put weight on her wrist.

"You're pathetic," Reid/Pogue snapped. Whoever it was, his face contorted with disgust.

_He's trying to push me to Use_, she tried to convince herself. _They're just messing around_.

"It's not funny. Don't mess around with me at a time like this." Pogue/Reid turned into Tyler, right down to the last freckle on his face. Robby opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, trying to decide what to say or if to say anything at all. It was just too weird.

As far as she knew, none of the boys had Ascended yet and none of them had that kind of power. It just wasn't explainable.

"Screw this!" She finally snapped before her eyes flashed black and she started to float up to the top of the hill. She almost sighed in relief but then she realized the fake Tyler was floating along beside her, grinning like some psycho. A few seconds of more floating passed and then she was plummeting to the ground.

"You can't Use against me," he said in a sing-song voice as she groaned on the ground.

"What do you want?" She rasped out as she tried to ignore the pain in her back.

"Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough." He started to take a step towards her and she drew in a long breath.

"Robby!" The voices were far off but Robby knew it had to be them.

"I'm here!" She screamed back, keeping her eye on whomever it was that was in front of her. "Help me!" She yelled even louder, hoping they would come as fast as they could.

"We're coming!"

It sounded like Caleb but she was honestly so scared she couldn't tell. She could feel her good hand shaking as she stared at the guy in front of her. Her eyes were wide and watching his every move and she knew she couldn't keep her eyes off of him for long if she did it at all. Who knew what he would try. It was a few more seconds or so before all four of her 'brothers' popped their heads over the side. Tyler was down in a second, glaring at the guy that looked exactly like him. He reached out to grab him but the guy disappeared into thin air as if he wasn't there to begin with.

Tyler's face contorted into a confused expression and he looked up towards his brothers. They followed him down within seconds and stared at the same spot the guy had been in.

"Oh, shit," Reid burst out as he finally looked at Robby. He winced at the site of her wrist and looked away.

"Caleb?" Tyler questioned, nodding towards her arm. Caleb shook his head and Robby knew at once he was referring to the fact that he couldn't heal her.

"Then at least take me to the hospital, you retards," she snapped at the four of them. Tyler nodded hastily and stepped towards her. His arms gently pushed under her and picked her up wedding style and a few seconds later they were floating back up the cliff. They were on the ground again in another few seconds and Robby hoped it wouldn't take much longer. Every inch of her was hurting and her head was splitting with pain she hoped she would never feel again.

"Can I pass out now?" She asked Tyler with half closed eyes. Worry shaded his eyes for a few seconds before disappearing. It was replaced by a look of authority and she knew he was trying to be strong for her.

"Yeah," he whispered back. He waited until her head was planted on his chest before he turned towards his other brothers, nodding to them.

"Why did I have to come so early?" Robby whined a few weeks later as she cradled her arm against her chest. She was standing on the edge of their "favorite" cliff looking over and down at the party. It was in full swing now and the only people that were missing were the Brother's of Ipswich.

"I'm not letting you out of my site. You know that. If I come early, you're coming early," Tyler declared with a shrug of his shoulders. Robby scowled at him and turned away from the cliff.

"Where is that dick head?" she asked them as she spun around again.

"Right here," Reid answered as he walked towards her, his usual smirk in place.

"Here he comes to wreck the day," Robby sang mockingly. Reid smirked at her for a few seconds before he gave her the finger.

"You would," she shot back and another smirk appeared on his face.

"Gross!" Tyler piped up from near Caleb. Robby let out a short laugh before turning back to the cliff.

"I hate cliffs," she told the others with a shudder. Just remembering falling down the last one was enough to make her go straight home and crawl into bed.

"How's the party?" Reid questioned as he took a spot next to her and looked down.

"Don't know, just got here," Caleb said, hands in his pocket and an eyebrow raised.

"Hell, boys," Reid started, turning for a few seconds to look at Caleb. "Let's drop in," he finally finished before turning back around. His eyes turned black and Robby rolled her eyes, expecting to watch him go plummeting down any second.

A few seconds passed and then she was falling, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Reid!" She managed to yell over the wind, a lump in her throat. "I hate you!"

Her heart beat as Reid flipped them both and continued to let them spiral down. She wriggled around and let her own eyes turn black. She got loose somehow and steered her way away from Reid.

She hovered above the ground upside down for a few seconds before letting herself flip over and land safely on her feet with a shudder. She looked up, watching as Pogue came down right behind them with Tyler. Her heart fluttered with panic for a few more seconds before she finally let go. Her eyes turned back to their normal color and she shook her head, trying to get rid of the rust and the urge to Use again. She could feel the blood pumping in her ears and the adrenaline was at an all time high. No matter how scared she was, she had to admit that it was fun.

"You ok?" Pogue questioned as he landed on a knee and pushed himself up.

"Fine," she replied shortly as she attempted to fix her hair with her good hand. "No thanks to Reid," she muttered with a scowl and a finger in his direction.

"I'm hurt," Reid mocked before shaking his head. Caleb landed a few seconds later, his eyes already their normal color. They headed towards the party, over the hills of sand and towards the fire that was glowing in the distance.

These were the moments Robby had missed the most, the five of them together and always there for each other.

"They're here." Robby picked up from the crowd. A scowl formed on her face as she recognized Kate in the distance.

"Who?" Another voice asked. Robby skimmed for her and her eyes rested on a short blond form. An eyebrow rose as she drew closer and she knew any minute now that Kate would be making her way towards Pogue.

"The Sons of Ipswich," Kate replied, admiration in her voice like the four boys were something special.

_Kate doesn't know anything_, Robby tried to convince herself. Her jealousy for the stuck up girl was growing with every passing minute and she couldn't hold it off for much longer.

"Who's the girl?" The blonde form asked. Robby could feel the blond girl's eyes and for a few moments she felt self conscious in her simple jeans and stomach hugging polo.

"Tyler's sister," Kate said, a scowl apparent in her voice.

"Hey baby!" Kate cried when the group finally reached her. A broad smile spread across the girl's face and she jumped into Pogue's arms. He kissed her and hugged her back, a matching smile on his face as well.

_Gag me,_ Robby thought with a shake of her head.

"Sarah, this is my boyfriend Pogue. And these are his friends Tyler and Reid-"

"Garwin. Reid Garwin." Reid cut her off, shoving his hand around Caleb to shake Sarah's hand.

"You know, Sarah's my grandmother's name," he said with a nod of his head and a flirtatious smile. Robby burst into laughter shaking her head at him.

"Never say that to a girl. I thought you would know that by now," she told him with a snort of laughter. He lunged at her but Caleb held out his arm to hold him back.

"I'm Caleb Danvers. And you don't remind me of my grandmother…in any way." Caleb said as he stuck a hand out towards Sarah.

"Good," Sarah said with a small smile. Robby rolled her eyes again and her laughter stopped as soon as it had started.

"I hate this," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh, and this is Robby." Kate put in surprisingly. Robby nodded to the short blond girl, a fake smile coming across her face.

"What happened to your arm?" Sarah asked, a fake look of worry adorning her face.

"I fell off a cliff." Robby dead-panned much to the dismay of her brothers.

Silence followed for at least a few second and then Sarah let out a loud shrill 'Hah' and then a fit of giggles.

"That's funny," she said while trying to catch her breath.

"Why?" Robby asked in a flat voice. "I'm serious."

Sarah stopped laughing.

Caleb glared.

Reid snickered behind Tyler's shoulder.

Tyler, well, he looked like a balloon, a _red_ balloon.

And Pogue gave Robby a little shove.

Robby shrugged at all of them with a blank expression, trying to play it off like she didn't know what was wrong with them.

"Look, there's Aaron. I'm gonna go say hi," she said quickly. She gave Sarah a fake smile as she passed her and then she called to Aaron. He smiled at her as he enveloped her in a hug. Robby gave Kyra a taunting smile over his shoulder and laughed as the other girl scowled at her.

"How's your arm?" Aaron asked as he pulled away. Robby looked down at her lime green and black cast and gave him a shrug.

"It still hurts," she told him. "I'm supposed to have it in a sling."

"Lazy," he taunted her with a shake of his head.

She smiled up at him innocently and started to pout her lips.

"Stop!" He warned her with a shake of his head.

"Where's she going?" One of Aaron's friends spat out. Aaron turned, his eyes catching site of Kyra making her way towards his dreaded enemy.

"Shit," Robby said out loud as she watched the girl stop in front of Caleb and cut Sarah off. She watched the exchange as some words were said and then Aaron was making his way down.

"Why don't you give it a rest, _Caleb_?" Aaron sneered out as he took a step in front of Caleb. Kyra turned and smirked at Caleb as if Aaron was actually protecting her or something. Robby stepped up next to Aaron and put her hand on his shoulder lightly.

"Just leave it. The whore can take care of herself." Robby tried to convince him, shooting a glare in Kyra's direction for causing it all.

"I don't want trouble…" Caleb started, letting his gaze rest on Robby (more like a glare actually). Robby shook her head and put her hands up, her signal that she didn't have anything to do with it.

"I'm sure you don't, but I think you owe Kyra an apology," Aaron put in, a smirk set on his chiseled features.

"Actually…" Caleb started, but was cut off.

"Right…" Robby said, before stepping between the two. "NO!" she screamed finally. "You guys are going to act like dogs, I'll treat you like dogs," she muttered under her breath.

"No use fighting over spilt milk," she told them both with an innocent shrug. "Let's dance, Aaron," she tried, grabbing a hold of his hand and tugging him towards a small bonfire.

His smirk only grew as he turned to look back at the Sons.


	5. Thanks To

**Author's Note: So I decided to catch up on the thanks and all that before I have too many to catch up on. I didn't get many reviews for the last chapter but that's ok. I understand how it is. I did get a lot of hits though and a few more people put the story on their alert list so that makes me happy. And, NO FLAMES, which makes me even happier. I might update again sometime soon, I'm not really doing anything but finals right now. So be expecting it. Here are the thanks to everyone:**

**Angelnanoo**-I'm glad you like it and I'm hoping you'll like the next chapter as well.

**byteme27886**- Thanks bunches. I'm glad you like it so far and I hope you continue to like it, lol. :D

**deanschick2007**- Thanks. It's really good to hear that because I'm really iffy about it right now. I'm not for sure if that many people really are liking it. It's getting a lot of hits and everything but I'm still unsure. So, it's good to hear someone say that.

**Samurai Angel**- Well, I updated, lol. And the Covenant saved her, but not in time to catch the bad guy. Oh well, right? He'll show up later...I think. As for the Chase thing, you're just going to have to find out:P. Pogue is my favorite charry, like no lie! He's the bestest and he's hot, but I'm still not sure of what I'm doing with him yet. :S As for you, you probably have to be one of my fav. reviewers, lol. You reviewed so many of my stories that I think I've lost track lol. Much love goes to you! And I will try my best to meet your standards. :D

**ruggedangel0426**- Thanks! I'm trying to make the interaction between the two as laid back as I can. It's hard though because I'm afraid people will hate what I make him out to be. I'm trying my best though.

**addict-4-dramatics**- I'm glad you liked it. I thought maybe it was a little over the top but then I was just like 'what the heck'. And I do cliff a lot! Lol.

**Rogue21493**- Reid takes your bet! So, we'll see where that goes!!! And actually, I might just hit them both for you. It sounds like a good idea. But the again, it is my fault they're acting the way they are...

**Lexi02**- Well, I did update and as far as I know, no, it's not going to be a Reid/OC. I'm trying my best to steer away from those because there are too many of those out there.

**tyLer**-Lover- I'm glad your intrigued and I hope you liked the update...if you read it that is. Lol. I hope you did...but oh well. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. It means a lot to me!

**ruggedangel0426**- I can think of a lot of things that have their panties in a bunch...Hah! No, I'm joking lol. And I'm glad you liked the drama. I'm always iffy about that stuff cause I don't know what's going to happen if I put too much or too less in. Does that make sense?

**0ra3ngxsp0rk**- I'm glad you think it's original. I was thinking the same thing a while back when I was reading a lot of Covenant stories. It was all Reid or Caleb and then the idea hit me that I could just write a story where there is a Tyler Twin. So, I did/am. And yes it was supposed to be your. I do that a lot, you will find. :D

**Mrs. St. John Allerdyce**- I sure will...I think. Lol.

**Happy Face21**- Do you still like the direction:S. I hope so, because I'm still iffy. I did update though and I'm sorry it took me so long. And I'm also sorry that I worried you, lol.

**iPodDancin**- I updated. I hope you still think it's good:D

**Rainydaygirl4**- I did make him nice. And I hope that's ok. No one ever does that so I just decided too, that and the fact that I think Kyle Schmid is HOT! Lol. Anyway, that's for reviewing for me. I updated and the third one is there. So I hope you still like it.

**KidWithFace1692**- Thanks! I'll try and make it as awesome as possible. Lol.

**LiasonFan2**- So, I updated. And I know it's taking a really long time to get your questions answered in the story, and I'm sorry for that. But I'm trying to get some other plot things in there real fast before I get into the real relationships. I hope you'll forgive me for now. As for Robby/Pogue, they did have a relationship in the past. I will tell you that. And I hope you continue to be greedy.

**Niffer01**-I'm glad to have you're support about the whole Aaron Robby friendship. It seems no one ever does that with Aaron and I decided to be different.

**bloodshadows**- So I updated, all to late, I think. But I did try. I hope you liked the new chapter. And thanks for your review:D

**maddiemiquel**- I'm glad you think it's interesting. It means a lot to me.

**Savannah luvz Billy**- Thanks for loving my story and I hope you still love it.

**0ra3ngxsp0rk**- Lol. Me and my sis fight ALL the time. Lol. It's kind of fun sometimes :P.

**RockChick2012**- Thanks for the idea. I've thought a lot about it but I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out if I use it. Cue evil laugh.

**J**- Yes, I'm sorry for my tiny mistake.

**sky's girl forever**- Thanks bunches for your support.

**Niffer01**- Well, I have a few ideas for the romance right now that I'm still turning in my head. I'll figure it out soon though I promise. And I'm glad you like the anger. Don't worry, it will start back up again soon.

**Just da Girl**- Updated and I hope you like it!

**nomanslandvicki**- Thankies!

**mangoskin93**- Yes, it is kind of refreshing isn't it:P

**ruggedangel0426**- I'm glad. And I did continue and I'm hoping you still like it. So let me know. :S

**effie**- So, super thanks and cookies and cakes and all that jazz go to you for being my very first reviewer. I don't think I can express my love enough. :D Thanks for you're support and your love!!


	6. Naked Girl

**Edited on December 13, 2010**

**Author's Note: Wow! I find myself really scared to disappoint you guys. I feel like a lot is riding on this story! It's even more popular then Send the Pain Below and that's saying something. This story is on the alert list 41 members already and it's only like the 6th chapter! It's incredible! And I have you guys to thank. And I really do appreciate it. But this is one of those times where I need ya'll the most. I have some stuff in this chapter that I really need feedback on. I really don't want Robby to become a Covenant Mary-Sue! Read on! Lol.**

_Hold up, wait a minute, put a little love in it_  
_Hey, Can't kick the habit_  
_Yeah, I got to have it_  
_Yeah, I 'm what they call a_  
_Love addict, Love addict_  
_Hey, can't live without it_  
_Yeah, G'on shout about it_  
_Hey, I'm a symptomatic_  
_Love addict, Love addict_

Robby bobbed her head in time with the beat as she ground her butt against Aaron's crotch. Both of their arms were up in the air moving up and down. Robby yelled and sung along every once in a while but was having too much fun grinding against Aaron and pissing Kyra off. The night had turned around for the most part and the fun was just starting. The music selection actually wasn't bad for a Spencer party and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves with the alcohol.

It hadn't been long before the group of Ipswich boys had calmed down and taken their own girls to enjoy the party and Robby was just thankful they were all staying away from her. She hated the fact that they pulled rank on her in sticky situations and she was afraid that after the fight they had with Aaron, they would pull rank on her just to piss him off.

"Mind if I cut in?" A voice asked. Robby turned to stare at a guy she didn't recognize. He was about the same age as her, maybe as old as Caleb and she couldn't help but think he was brave asking her to dance considering who she was. Even though she hadn't seen this guy before she knew that he had probably already been filled in on who to stay away from. That list of people included her now that she was back in town. She was sure of it.

"Yes," she finally said, surprised to hear Aaron say it the same time she did.

"Oh, come on. Just one dance," the boy tried to convince her. His eyes brows were raised almost all the way up to his hair line and his blue eyes were glowing with mischief.

"Actually, I was hoping to have this one," Reid said as he said stepped up next to the unknown new guy. "Sorry, Chase," Reid said with a shrug of his shoulders and wink.

"You know this guy?" Robby asked as her brows furrowed and she pointed to the guy in front of her.

"Yeah, we just met like 2 minutes ago," was Reid's simple reply before he grabbed a hold of her hips and started to lead her away. Aaron started to lunge forward, quick to take Robby back from the guy he hated most, but Robby shook him off, giving him a warning with her eyes.

"So who is that guy?" Robby questioned as she danced with Reid by one of the smaller bonfires.

"I don't know. He just showed up when Caleb was getting in a fight with Aaron."

"Hmm," Robby said as she took a chance look over Reid's shoulder to look at the Chase guy. He reminded her of someone, just vaguely, but the fact that she couldn't put her finger on who made her want to go over and talk to him. The way he made those facial expressions and the way he spiked his hair just rubbed her the wrong way, like she should have known him from somewhere.

"Does he remind you of anyone?" She asked Reid with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, my grandfather," Reid joked with a tiny glint in his eyes.

"Haha Reid," Robby said before curling her lip at him.

"Can I cut in?" Another voice asked.

Robby sighed in exasperation and turned to find Pogue standing next to her, looking at Reid with almost a glare.

"Sure man," Reid said with a shrug up of his shoulders and a small smirk.

_He does that too much_, Robby thought as she turned to stare at Pogue.

"I'm really getting sick of being passed around so excuse me if I'm in a sour mood," she told him. Her eyes had suddenly turned cold and she was looking at Pogue with no interest whatsoever. Though inside her heart was fluttering with something she thought she had stopped feeling a long time ago.

"I'm sure that'll change soon enough," he told her as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist. She scoffed at him with a snarl and tried to pull away from him but he held her tighter and flashed her a wide smirk.

"Listen..." he started, but trailed off when he felt Robby finally slip her hands around his neck. He looked down at her, his greenish eyes softening at the look she had on her face.

She looked almost...wounded. Like everything that had happened in the past was coming back to her.

No matter how much she tried to hide it she knew he could tell. For some reason, standing in front of him with no one else around was making her feel all the pain she had stored away for the past couple of years. It was hard to pull all her courage together to look up at him but as his eyes softened she felt the urge to pull away again.

"I don't want your pity," she snapped at him, trying her best to act cold and careless.

"I don't pity you!" He snapped. She could tell by his expression that he couldn't even believe she would say that in the first place but she honestly didn't know why he would blame her for thinking the way she did.

"I'm trying to explain," he went on. His voice softened a bit and Robby squirmed as he pulled her even closer to him. "I was young back then and I was stupid. I was just, I was having all these problems with commitment and I was scared-" Robby cut him off with a shake of her head.

"It wasn't like we were getting married," she snapped at him.

"Robby, just listen," Pogue snapped back, shaking her a bit. "I still have a lot of feelings for you and honestly, it scares the shit out of me. I was young back then and I didn't know how to handle it!"

"Pogue," Robby said, "being young isn't an excuse for breaking a girls heart. It's an excuse for not having an excuse. If you felt so much for me, you wouldn't have broken my heart!"

She knew deep down though that it made sense. Her childhood and high school sweet heart was standing right in front of her, telling her that he was scared of everything he felt for her, and she was falling for it. She had been scared a long time ago. She had been scared a lot of times but she had never left him. She had never told him to deal with it on his own.

"I know, Robby. But what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm sorry!" He bit his puffy bottom lip in exasperation as he tried to come up with more words to describe how he felt.

"Hey!" Reid called to the two as he motioned wildly. "Cops are coming, we gotta split."

Robby groaned and broke away from Pogue, secretly glad for a reason to get away from him. But her happiness only lasted for a few short seconds before Pogue latched onto her hand with his own and drug her through the crowd towards the rest of the Sons.

"I'll catch you later!" Robby yelled at Aaron as she passed him briefly. Aaron nodded through his glare at Pogue and Robby found it quite amusing.

Pogue dropped Robby's hand suddenly and she turned to see Kate making her way towards them.

"I'll see you back at the dorms?" Pogue questioned as he slung an arm around Kate's shoulders. Robby rolled her eyes, feeling somewhat betrayed as she made her way over towards Reid and Tyler and took her rightful place in the middle of the two.

"Your friend's interruption sure did come at an opportune time," she could hear Chase saying from ahead of them, no doubt talking to Caleb about the fight with Aaron.

"Didn't it though," Reid laughed as he swung an arm around Robby. She laughed at his antics and tried to punch him in the stomach but he twirled around to avoid her.

"Oh, look, Reid's adopted the art of ballet," Robby joked with Tyler as she smirked at Reid.

"Very funny, shit head," Reid said as he lunged for the younger girl. She squealed and ran ahead, darting around Caleb, Chase, and Sarah and then around Pogue and Kate. She could hear Reid's footsteps behind her and she tried her best to speed up. She could see Tyler's hummer ahead of her as she jumped over a log.

She let her eyes shimmer black and red for a few seconds and the backseat door of the car opened, awaiting Robby. She darted into the hummer, slamming the door shut behind her and locking the door via Using. She broke into a fit of laughter as Reid beat on the door from the outside and Caleb started yelling at her for being immature.

Suddenly the doors unlocked with a honk of the car and a swift click. Robby pouted as Reid threw open the door and she gave him the most innocent look she could.

"Tyler!" She yelled at her older brother. "You're such a dick," she said.

Reid let out a throaty laugh before shaking his head and racing around the car. A few seconds later he was throwing himself into the passenger seat of the hummer. She smiled and shook her head before sliding into the middle of the hummer as Pogue and Caleb slipped into the seats next to her.

Tyler got in just a few seconds later and the hummer came to life with a roar.

"Caleb," Robby started, turning to look at her makeshift brother, "since I have Grandpa Simms' powers and mine too, will I still ascend?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting together with confusion.

"As far as I know. Why?" Caleb asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was just wondering since you're so close to ascending and all," she tried to explain even though she was lying through her teeth.

"My car won't start!" She heard Sarah yell to the left of them, her thoughts from before forgotten as she listened to Reid tell her he could fix it. She rolled her eyes at Pogue and muttered a few words under her breath.

"Touch something you idiot," she whispered as she watched him pop the hood and stare at the engine of the car. "Can he get any more stupid?" She asked, her head turning to her left to look at Caleb with tired eyes. He only shook his head at her before turning to watch Reid close the hood of the car and smile at Sarah.

Robby growled at the sudden sound of police sirens and the flashing lights up ahead. It was typical of Reid to hold them up when they could have been long gone by now.

"Move over," Reid commanded as he opened the driver's door.

"It's my car-" Tyler started to protest but was cut off by Caleb.

"Move over, Baby Boy, now," he snapped. His eyes were alert and held a hint of fear and Robby wanted to laugh at him. They took off at break neck speed and though Robby was used to it, she still closed her eyes as she felt some motion sickness take over.

A half hour and a few gags later she was standing outside the Danvers' mansion gate. Pogue sat on his bike in front of her, ready for her to put on her helmet so he could get back to the dorms.

"Thanks Caleb," she told the other boy while giving him a one-armed hug. She pulled Pogue's sleek black helmet over her dark hair and adjusted it until it wasn't rubbing against her small chin. She took her sweet time in throwing one leg over the bike and settling in behind Pogue.

Her arms wrapped around his waist in a tight enough grip and then they were speeding off, the engine giving a loud roar and then a few purrs.

She couldn't count how many times she had been on the back of Pogue's bike and she had sort of gotten used to it. She preferred it now to a car for some reason and she figured it was from the open air she felt, brushing all around her and making her feel calm.

With Pogue's break neck speed they were back at the dorms of Spencer within a few minutes and Robby slipped off the back with a sigh of tiredness.

"This night was too long," she told Pogue after she had pulled off his bulky helmet.

"Yeah," Pogue agreed with a nod of his head as he took the helmet from Robby. His hand brushed against hers for a few seconds and Robby could have sworn she felt a few shocks shooting up her arm. But a few seconds later she had convinced herself it wasn't true and that she hadn't felt anything for her old flame.

"We still need to talk," Pogue yelled at her retreating back. His voice had gone slightly cold and Robby wondered if he was trying to hide his feelings from her and make himself seem tougher then he really was.

"I'm too tired. We can talk...some other time," she yelled back, not even bothering to look over her shoulder. Her head was aching with an oncoming head ache and she knew if she didn't get up to her dorm room in time she was going to pass out. She hadn't really realized how much energy it took for her to be back with the people she cared about the most. It was like every second of her time was spent just trying to get them to trust her again. She knew they were still upset with her for not keeping in touch with them. She could see it in their eyes when they weren't trying to hide their feeling from her.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't really blame them. She still felt a bit hurt whenever she was with Tyler. She could see how happy being with his friends had made him and how he had forgotten about the still on-going feud between their parents. Part of her hurt was actually jealousy. He had gotten to stay there, with his friends and the people he had grown up with. And with the sane parent. She was moved all the way across the country with a crazy man that liked to call himself her father. She just liked to call him a number of curse words. And while in Cali, she had learned to call Tyler a few curse words as well. Her hate for him had grown a lot and the fact that he had never called or wrote to her just fed the feeling.

Now that all of them were getting comfortable with each other, though, she could feel that hate slipping away and it scared her. She had spent the past few years hating the people that she actually loved deep down. And finally showing them that emotion, finally having to try to show that emotion, was too time consuming and too energy consuming.

Yet she was still doing it.

She couldn't, for the life of her, stop. Because she knew that this was where she belonged. No matter how many things came between her and this place and the people she loved, she would always find a way back. She had so far, anyway.

She hadn't even realized that between her everlasting thoughts and her moving feet, she had made it all the way up the stairs and to her floor already.

"What's going on?" She questioned Reid and Sarah as she started to pass them to get to her room. Sarah was, unmistakably, in a towel and was very wet. And the fact that Reid was standing in front of her with that look on his face was a very bad thing.

"Sarah said she thought someone was watching her in the showers," Reid explained, finally turning to look at the new arrival. "We were just about to check it out."

Robby felt her head nodding slowly, like she was so tried she didn't even have control over her actions.

"I'll come too then," she said, not trusting Reid alone with the naked girl. Reid nodded and led the way into the girl's bathroom.

The first thing Robby noticed was the eerie feeling that was taking her over and sending goose bumps up and down her spine. She definitely didn't blame her new acquaintance for feeling so freaked out.

"What broke the light?" Robby found herself asking as she bent down and brushed her hand over the broken pieces of light bulb.

"I don't know," Sarah said, her voice still shaking. "It just kind of exploded," she tried to explain, though she wasn't doing a very good job.

"Well, I don't see anything," Reid announced, shrugging his shoulders and heading for the door again.

"You coming?" Sarah questioned, nodding at the door.

"Um, no. I have to pee," Robby stumbled over her lie but gave Sarah what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Sure," Sarah said with a nod and an unsure glance at the other girl. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Robby muttered as the other girl finally pushed open the door and stepped out.

Robby stood from her squat, rubbing her hands up and down her goose bumped arms. She could feel the plaster of her cast scratching her, but she didn't mind.

"You know, I didn't pick you for a hero type," someone whispered, their breath brushing against Robby's cheek with a warm mist. She turned quickly, her eyes searching for something she knew she wouldn't find.

"I'm not really," she said shakily, hoping she could get whoever it was to talk again. She wanted, no, needed, to find out who had been doing this.

"You are a great dancer though," the voice continued, this time floating through the air from over by the sinks.

Robby could feel the shudder making its way up her spine but she tried to hold it down.

"Yeah?" She asked, her voice rising. "And how would you know that?" She snapped. This person could have been messing with her but she highly doubted it. It had to have been someone she knew, someone she had seen in the last couple of days at Nicky's or at the party. Whoever it was could Use. That was for sure. Or if it wasn't Using, it was something extremely like it.

"I have my ways," the voice answer, slowly slipping away and out of ear shot. Robby panicked and tried anything in coaxing the voice back but it didn't seem to work.

At least she had learned what she had.

Whoever it was had been watching her and knew she could dance. He probably knew all the local hangouts and secret spots and obviously he knew where she went to school. He had some sort of power but whether it was Covenant related or not, she didn't know. She was making progress, she tried to convince herself.

It didn't take her much longer before she had sprinted out the door and up a few floors from her own dorm room. Her steps were heavy and tired and she still had cold chills running up her spine as she walked swiftly down a somewhat unknown corridor.

She was reading the numbers on the doors aloud as she looked for the right one. She had memorized it after he had told her and had never let it slip from her mind. She had had a feeling for a while that she would be needing it.

She skidded to a halt just outside a medium sized dark oak door and knocked on it rather urgently.

"What?" A voice snapped from inside, sounding slightly tired. She could hear footsteps from inside and she knocked a few more times just to put emphasis on her need.

"What the hell-" Pogue started as he opened the door but cut himself off when he realized it was Robby.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, running a large hand through his hair. Robby's eyes had unknowingly wondered down to Pogue's toned and tanned chest where she could make out a definite six pack. She longed to reach out and run her hands across his smooth skin-

"Robby?" Pogue said loudly, breaking her from her thoughts about him.

"Where's your roommate?" Robby asked, trying to avoid the subject of why she was really there.

"Caleb stays here sometimes. He pays for his half of the room even though he stays at his place most of the time," Pogue explained, his voice growing more tired by the minute.

"Listen," Robby started, her eyes trailed up his chest until she could see into his green eyes, "Can I crash here for the night? I really don't want to be alone."

"Why? What happened?" He asked urgently, moving aside. He waited until she had stepped in before he poked his head out the door, looking both ways to see if anyone had followed her.

"It's a long story," she told him.

"I have lots of time," he mocked as he looked down at an imaginary watch on his wrist.

Robby glared at him with a sort of daring look in her eyes.

When he had finally calmed down and stopped mocking her, Robby launched herself into the story of the previous events.

**Author's Note (Again): So do you guys think she has too much power? Like do you guys not like it that she does? It's really important for me to know what you guys think cause I love ya'll so much. Thanks guys!**


	7. Pieces

**Edited on December 13, 2010**

**HAPPY 4TH!**

"What now?" Pogue's groggy voice questioned as Robby poked him in the shoulder.

"I can't sleep," Robby whispered, as if there was someone else in the room that she would wake.

"So?" Pogue asked, closing his eyes again and clutching his cold pillow against his bare chest.

"I'm scared!" Robby snapped, poking him in the chest again.

She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Here she was in Pogue's room standing next to his bed because she was scared. Of course that stupid scene back in the bathroom would have freaked anybody out, but she was actually admitting this to Pogue, her former middle school and high school sweet heart that had broken her heart. It was a blow to the girl's ego.

To say the least.

She had taken up a spot on Pogue's couch before he could argue about it but after the lights had gone out and she was lying there, she had found herself jumping at every shadow she saw. And she could have sworn she felt something brushing against her hair.

She found herself now looking down on a bare-chested Pogue and she knew that under that thin white sheet, he wasn't wearing anything but boxers. She was trying hard not to lick her lips or even remotely think about his body. But it was hard when he was showing it off and he did have a lot to show off.

His chiseled abs were peeking out from under the pillow and the sheet just barely covered his hips. But if she moved the right way and looked at him in the right light she could see through the sheet to a pair of black boxers.

Her attention was pulled back to his face though, as he gave a low growl.

"Get in," he told her, pulling himself as close to the other edge of his twin bed as he could.

She paused suddenly, realization dawned on her that she was going to be in the same bed as Pogue Parry and was going to be pretty close to him, too. Did she want that? No, could she handle that? It was hard enough for her as it was, knowing he was there and she couldn't have him. Why taunt herself anymore?

Her legs betrayed her.

_Damn it_, she thought as she finally scrambled onto the bed. It squeaked a little with protest of the added weight but she didn't stop herself from finding a comfortable position.

She turned her back to Pogue's front. She didn't trust herself staring at him. His lips, his jaw...anything.

She couldn't help herself from snuggling up to his warmth, though, and before she knew it he was wrapping a strong arm around her and pulling her closer to him in a spooning position. His arm was heavy but for some odd reason she felt safe under it, like she belonged there.

How cliché, she decided as she tried not to do anything stupid. It was typical of fate to be so cruel to her.

The feel of his breath on her bare neck almost drove her over the edge and she started to seriously rethink her decision. His chin was pressing into her shoulder now and she knew from the feel of his chest against her back that he was asleep already.

This was so not cool...

A low groan escaped her a time later and she let her eyes flutter open. She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been laying there trying to sleep. No matter what she tried she just couldn't seem to do it.

She turned under Pogue's arm suddenly and found herself staring at his sleeping face. He looked peaceful and young. He didn't have a care in the world in dream land, she realized. She curled her arm up next to her, trying to fight herself. She wanted so bad to reach out and run a finger over his lips, his chin...

She found herself doing just that seconds later.

Her index finger trailed down his nose softly and then down to his lips. She outlined his top lip and ran her finger over the top of his bottom lip. Then she let her finger move down, caressing his sharp chin and feeling the strong muscles underneath.

His eyes fluttered open suddenly before she had time to pull her fingers away.

A deep blush crept across her cheeks and down to her chest. She snapped her hand back to her side before he could say anything.

She watched him closely, looking into his tired, dark, hazel eyes. His lips were pursed as if he was in thought and then he closed his eyes again.

"Something wrong?" He asked her, his eyes still closed. He looked at peace again and she wondered if he had already fallen asleep.

"N-n-nothing," she stuttered. She clenched and unclenched her hand. For some odd reason it felt like it was on fire. She couldn't shake the feeling and that's what bugged her the most.

She figured he was going to say something, anything, to bring up what had just happened but surprisingly he kept his mouth shut. He just laid there. His face was calm again and his lips were slack and no longer pursed. His sharp jaw no longer looked tense and that made her wonder if he had even been asleep to begin with. She turned on her back, his arm pressing into her belly.

One of his arms alone weighed a ton but she tried to remind herself she wasn't supposed to be thinking about that.

It had been two years already and she had promised herself before coming back that she was over him. She wasn't supposed to be putting herself in this position again, not when she could just get hurt later. It hadn't really been easy to come back, no matter what happened in California. But the fact that she was there, back in Ipswich, was really the only thing that mattered.

She was safe and she was with her twin brother, a very piece of her soul. What more could she need?

But if that was all she needed then why did she feel so down? So battered and bruised? It wasn't right feeling like this all the time.

A sigh escaped her and she flipped again. Tears were coming to her eyes now and all she wanted was to fall asleep. It wasn't that much to ask for.

_The glass slipped slowly from his sweaty hand and Robby watched from against the wall as it fell with a little thud onto the carpet. The amber liquid spilled out, soaking a path through the white carpet below it. She didn't move at first, but kept herself against the wall. She watched as his chest rose and fell, rose and fell. She moved finally, pushing herself off of the wall. _

_She dropped to her knees with a cloth towel, pressing it against the now amber stained carpet. The smell of the liquid burnt her nose and sent tears to her eyes. It was bitter and she could almost taste it. She tried in vain to scrub at the stain but she knew that this time it wouldn't be coming out. And she didn't have the strength to try anymore. It was ridiculous. _

_She couldn't count how many nights she had spent doing this. It had become a ritual. She should have been out surfing the night waves and having fun with her friends at the local clubs and luring in tourists. But here she was, stuck by her father's side while he drank away a pain she knew nothing about._

_The bitter taste in her mouth wasn't coming from the liquid on the floor anymore, she realized, as she sat back on her heels. Her heart thudded with a dull ache and she clutched a hand to her chest. She wondered if someone could feel their heart break, or if it was a mind over matter sort of thing. Maybe if it was that sort of thing you could get rid of if you just convinced yourself it wasn't really there._

_If only it worked that way, she thought as she finally stood. She let out a grunt of pain as her father latched onto her wrist with a tight grip. _

_Her old man looked up at her with black eyes and a snarl on his lips. It wasn't the first time she had come across this. She didn't know why his dreams were so bad and it never seemed to matter anymore. When he woke up all defensive she did the only thing she could think of. She knocked him back out again with her own flash of black._

_It always led her to wonder what kind of things he had gone through in his own youth, but as she rubbed her now raw wrist, she thought about how much more she could take._

_A month, maybe, a year if she was lucky. But luck never went her way. It wasn't normal watching your own father fade away and at a young age too. At only 45 he already looked like he was 70. His skin was wrinkled, white, and saggy. Robby shuttered every time she felt it. It was almost like the old dry stuff would fall off in her hands._

_Normal, she realized with disgust, was something never used to describe her family or the family of her closest friends. Normal was not a word she would use to describe her deteriorating father. Convincing herself day after day that she would be fine and that her father would pull through, only worked for so long. There was nothing worse than having to take care of and watch as your own father died a little more each day. She had held on for so long and as she looked at her father, asleep again in the chair, she tried to tell herself she could hold on a little longer._

_Nah, it was time to get out. She couldn't be the adult anymore..._

Robby's eyes fluttered open, the glaring red light from Pogue's clock making her eyes water. It read 7:30 in bold, blocky numbers. She had been asleep on and off for the last 3 hours and now that she was fully awake, she knew it was time to get up. She couldn't keep wasting her energy on tossing and turning and willing sleep to come. It just wasn't worth it.

She slipped from Pogue's arm, her head spinning as blood rushed through her body with increased speed. She shook it away and stumbled, catching herself before she could fall on her face. Her movements were slow as she almost crawled down the hallway.

She had already made up her mind that she would go shower on her own floor and collect some clothes and then come back to wake Pogue. She knew from the sound of his bike last night that something was wrong with it and from experience she knew Pogue always took care of his bike before he took care of anything else. With a mental snarl, she knew she would be spending almost all of the day with Pogue at the shop as he carefully looked over the mechanics shoulder making sure they didn't do anything they weren't supposed to.

She took her time getting to the door and pulled it open with a harsh yank before letting it close slowly behind her. Her hand ran across the wall when she finally reached the hallway and then trailed upwards when she reached the stairs.

The only sound in the dorms was the sound of her footsteps on the stair way. Most of the students were either already out or were still sleeping. It was like the campus of Spencer ran in patterns and Robby wondered if she could set a clock for everything that went on.

She didn't know how long it was before she reached her door and she slowly opened it with a shake of her head.

_Must have forgot to lock it last night_, she told herself, knowing that she was only thinking that to make herself feel better. Everything these days gave her a freaky feeling and the simplest things could cause the worst suspicions.

With a flick of her wrist the door closed behind her and she moved towards her dresser to pull out a pair of jeans and a plain black tee shirt. Fresh undergarments joined her little pile before she made her way towards her small bathroom complete with a toilet, sink, and mirror. She grabbed a towel from the hook while trying with all her power not to look at her reflection. She didn't want to know how bad she looked and she definitely didn't want to wallow in self pity of how little sleep she had gotten last night.

Back out in the hallway, she smiled at a few girls that passed. She took her sweet time to get to the showers, slowly remembering what had happened last night when she had gone in that same room and she shivered with fear. It was hard to comprehend exactly what was going on and Robby couldn't decide if someone was Using, or if she was just going crazy. It was hard to believe anyone was using because no one had that sort of power besides her. Having her own power and her grandfather's power, it made things quite easy for her power wise. Caleb was pretty powerful but he wouldn't Ascend for a couple more weeks yet, which took him out of the situation. All the rest of them wouldn't ascend for a while either and Reid had been near her when she had heard the voice.

The signs and her suspicions weren't adding up to anything that was feasible or probable and the more she thought about it the more it pissed her off. She would have decided to go to Caleb with the matter if she knew he wouldn't think she was crazy.

That was the last thing she needed on her plate, she decided, as she turned the hot water knob of the shower. A steady stream started to beat down on the clean tile under her feet and she waited for a few seconds for the water to get hot enough for her liking. She turned a few seconds later and tied a plastic bag over her cast. With annoyance she realized she would still be doing that for a long time. The stupid thing was always getting in the way and it had so many stupid pictures drawn on it from Reid that she couldn't see what color it was supposed to be. Silver Sharpy markers had to be the worst invention ever, in her opinion, especially when someone was stupid enough to give one to Reid.

She slipped under the water at the same time she let her hair down and the water washed over her with a comforting blanket of steam. The hot water made her shiver as it rushed down her spine and she could feel the tiny droplets burning her. She ignored the pain, though, and focused on the clean feeling she was getting instead.

The guy in the woods, she realized suddenly with a start. For some reason she had forgotten the whole entire ordeal and now that it was coming back to her it made perfect sense. Whoever was in the woods had to be the person that was Using last night, if it was actually Using. She figured as she leaned against the shower wall that if there were such things as witches and warlocks then there was probably other stuff out there too.

Whoever it was was definitely trying to get her attention and might even be a threat. It was hard to assume that anybody knew their secret and she didn't want to tell Caleb anything until she knew for sure. Maybe she would have another encounter or something. She hoped, then, that she would know for sure.

Twenty minutes later, she sped up the steps two at a time, her wet hair pulled into a messy bun and her makeup applied almost messily. She was eager to get the day started and find out more about this mystery user. Anything to take her mind off life was ok by her. She slipped through Pogue's dorm room door without a sound and without a problem before she headed down the little passage way to his bed.

She took a running start before she hopped onto the bed and poked Pogue in the ribs and screamed 'wake up'.

"G'way!" Pogue whined as he threw his pillow over his head. Robby grinned and poked a finger into his rib cage, watching as he squirmed. She poked again, this time deeper and harder and Pogue let out a large grunt.

Robby swatted at his back before she rolled her eyes. "Come on. It's like 9:30."

"No shit?" Pogue questioned, his face finally popping out of the pillow. Robby gave a snort of laughter while she nodded her head.

"Shit!" He said. He climbed to all fours and crawled around her. A blush fell on her checks as she found herself admiring his abs and she tried her hardest to look away.

Pogue didn't notice, though and she didn't know whether to be happy about it or sad.

She felt like she was leaning more on the sad side.

Pogue moved to his dresser, his leg muscles rippling, "I have to get my bike fixed in like an hour."

Robby let out a grunt as she threw herself back down on the bed.

"I know," was her simple reply. She smiled at him when he turned around to give her a questioning look. "When we were riding back last night I could hear that weird noise it was making," she explained and watched as he gave a nod and turned back to his dresser.

"You coming with?" Pogue asked. He turned around again, a pair of dark wash jeans and a black wife beater in hand.

"Are you kidding?" Robby raised an eyebrow at him from her newly acquired upside down position on his bed. "I would kill to go into town for anything right now," she answered finally. She watched as he nodded and threw his clothes on the bed.

"Don't look," he told her suddenly. Robby's eyes popped open.

It was one of those curious times. Someone tells you not to look and most people just have to look. It was only human!

She paled instead of blushed this time. Pogue was standing boxerless in front of his dresser, getting ready to put on a fresh pair. She gulped and tried to pull her eyes away from his muscular butt. It was very, very hard.

She watched as he bent over and pulled on a pair of black boxers.

This boy is a fan of black, she thought as she watched his thighs pull with every move he made. He had to be some sort of god, she decided. The boy just couldn't look this good.

_Shut up_, she told herself with a mental shake. You're over him. Besides, he'll just break your heart again anyway. _Plus, he's with Kate_, she continued to remind herself.

"Agh!" She screamed. She let her eyes snap closed again.

Her fist connected with the mattress with a violent hit and when she opened her eyes again Pogue was standing over her.

"What?" He asked her.

He looked suddenly worried. His brow furrowed with his confusion.

"Nothing." she said quickly, trying to shrug it off.


	8. Mood Swings

**Edited on August 25, 2011.**

Robby's hand flew to her forehead as she walked out of the room, Pogue on her heals.

Her face was scarlet red with embarrassment and she couldn't get the picture of Pogue's butt out of her mind. She felt like she had violated his privacy even though he had actually undressed in front of her.

But then again he had trusted her not to look. So really, she decided, she _had_ invaded his privacy. And the fact that she had liked seeing him...naked...made the guilt all that stronger.

"So what had you so freaked out last night?" Pogue asked. His voice was low like he knew it had something to do with the Covenant.

Robby paused, slowing her footsteps so Pogue could catch up and walk beside her. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to figure out a way to form her words.

She finally decided and turned her head towards him to look at him while she walked.

"You remember the guy that was in the woods that one day, the one that was chasing me? Well, last night in the bathroom, Sarah," she paused again. "You remember her don't you?"

After an annoyed nod from Pogue she continued.

"Well, she said that she felt like someone was watching her in the showers. So, all three of us went into the bathrooms to check it out. Reid said he didn't see anything so he and Sarah left. I was all alone and this voice...It was really creepy. Whoever it was, was saying how well I danced." Robby shuddered, remembering the fear that had come over her.

"So, anyway, it was just this voice. Nobody or anything and it carried on a little conversation with me before it faded away. I was really freaked out," she finished finally.

She took a deep breath before looking away from Pogue. She was already tired of seeing him look at her like she was crazy.

"That's weird..." he said slowly, his eyes darting every which way so he didn't have to look her in the eye.

"I'm serious, Pogue. I was tired last night but not _that_ tired," Robby snapped back.

An awkward silence fell on the pair as they headed down a few flights of stairs and toward the exit. It wasn't that Robby didn't want to talk to him. It was just that, well, what was she supposed to say?

'Pogue, you have the nicest ass I've ever seen'? She figured that would blow over well.

Robby snorted but she didn't really realize she had done it out loud until Pogue turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh..." she trailed off, trying to find an excuse for her randomness.

"Whatever," Pogue said with an impassive expression and a wave of his hand. He was obviously waving off the oncoming conversation and Robby couldn't decide whether to feel hurt or grateful. Before she could ask him what she should have been feeling, though, he opened his mouth.

"You still have your leather?" He questioned, an eyebrow raised as he stopped in front of the doors that led out of the dorms.

"Yeah. Why?" She asked. This change of subject, she decided, wasn't any better than the one just a few seconds ago.

"Go get it. After my bikes fixed we'll go out on the country roads and have a bit of fun," was all he told her before he turned away and pushed open the doors. A gloomy glow swept over her and Robby held her hand in front of her eyes to keep herself from the glare that almost blinded her.

She sighed but turned around and raced back up the stairs anyway. The promise of racing in the country was enough to make her jump out a fifth story window in excitement. She loved the feel of Pogue's powerful machine between her legs, no pun intended.

After she had successfully grabbed her red and yellow leather jacket from her closet she raced back down the stairs. By the time she reached Pogue's bike, he had his helmet on and was ready to go.

"Are you sure it can make the trip in town?" she asked, letting the slick inside of her jacket slide against her skin to rest on her shoulders.

"Yeah," was Pogue's one word answer. She couldn't help but feel like something had happened in the amount of time they had woken up and the time that had passed until they left the dorms. Pogue was acting differently than he had been the night before. Colder, almost. And that was never good.

Pogue Parry, the hottest rebel of Spencer, had a very, very cold side, and you didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. The way Robby was going, she figured she would be on the wrong end in a very short amount of time.

She wondered if it had anything to do with the night before and the talk he had tried to have with her in the parking lot. She had waved him off and told him she was too tired.

_But_, she reasoned with herself, _if_ _it is about last night, why did he let her in his room in the first place? Wouldn't he have turned her away? Told her to go ask Reid or something?_

Reid was, after all, closer to her room then he was. _But that hadn't been the case at all_, she admitted to herself with a heavy mental sigh.

He had just recently started acting like this. He had been fine that morning when he woke up and fine when they had walked out of his room. But as they kept walking he had gotten colder and stiffer.

This wasn't good.

Pogue's shoulders were stiff under her hands as she used them to help get on the back of the bike. She had gotten used to the uncomfortable position she always had to sit in when on a crotch rocket, but the way Pogue was sitting made it even more difficult.

When she had secured her arms around his waist they shot forward with break neck speed. Pogue wasn't worrying about crashing or cops or anything of the sort and Robby was glad he had told her to get her leather.

The picture of her own skin being torn off as they crashed made her shudder and hold tighter to him, her face hidden behind his shoulder. Her cheek rested on his cold leather jacket. She loved the smell of it. It still held the natural spell of leather but at the same time held a whiff of Pogue's cologne. She could never guess what it was, as he changed it every year and she never asked.

By the time they had reached the mechanic shop in town, Robby thought about throwing herself on the concrete face first and kissing it. That's how glad she was to see it with all her limbs still attached.

Pogue shook hands with a rather young looking mechanic who had a bit of stubble on his chin and short black hair matted to his head with sweat. They spoke a few words that Robby couldn't hear before they shook hands again. Pogue turned a few seconds later and walked by her, muttering something about walking around.

She reached out to grab his arm at the last second and Pogue turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"What's up?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow to stare at him quizzically.

"Nothing," he snapped, pulling his arm out of her grip. She tripped back with the force he had used and her eyes widened.

"Obviously something's up, Pogue. You've been treating me like crap since we left."

She tried her best to stare him down but when he turned around and she could see his eyes fully, she faltered and looked away. His eyes were colder then she had ever seen them, as if he was looking at a mortal enemy. They pierced her heart and she wanted to gasp at the pain that shot through her.

His eyes took on a daring look, then, a daring look that told her to try it. Just try and figure out what was going through his head. And for the first time in a long time, she was actually scared of what would happen if she did.

"Okay," she mumbled softly, finally turning away from him before shrugging off her jacket and making her way down the street. She wasn't really sure where she was going or what she wanted to do. She had expected to be spending the whole day with Pogue, but now that he was acting weird and treating her completely different, she knew that that wouldn't be happening.

A few minutes later she had made it a few blocks away. She guessed Pogue had either gone in a different direction then her, or had just stayed back at the shop. Either way, it still made her feel flushed, angry, confused, and sad all at the same time.

She paused when she heard screeching tires and turned just in time to see Aaron's blue Eclipse pull up next to her. He rolled down the window and gave her his earth shattering smile.

She thought about how many hearts he had won with just that one smile and how many detentions and suspensions he had gotten out of after flashing it at the female teachers.

And she couldn't help but wish she had fallen to his charms instead of Pogue's. Aaron had been after her for so long when they were younger but for some odd reason, Robby wasn't interested. He had flirted with her to no end and was always doing this and that to try and get her to go out with him. After countless turn downs, he had decided if he couldn't have her as a girlfriend, then he wanted her as a friend.

She could still remember how angry he had been when she and Pogue had finally gotten together. She had been ecstatic, yeah, but worried about what her brother would have said. When she had asked Aaron to help her out a bit and give her some tips on dating and what not, he had totally blown up on her.

Now she realized how easy life would have been if she had just succumbed to Aaron's charms instead. He was a womanizer now, but he had never been that way when they were younger. He had been sweet and persistent, always there when she needed him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would have been good to her.

Maybe she wouldn't have ended up as such a wreck.

"Hey," Aaron said, not breaking his smile as he leaned out his open window.

Robby forced a smile as she walked to the side of his car. She bent over and leaned her arms against the door before letting out a small sigh.

"Hey," she said softly. For once in her life she actually sounded defeated and she felt it, too.

"What's up?" He asked, his smile dropping from his face as he took in her still forced smile.

"Just Pogue," she told him hesitantly. She expected him to tense up and maybe utter a few curses and he didn't let her down.

"You always date the dicks," he said a few moments later. She could tell he had calmed down considerably but it took her a few seconds to realize he was joking around with her.

"I do not!" She cried, mocking hurt as she slapped him on the arm. He shook his head at her with a small smile before turning his attention to the road in front of him.

"Listen," Aaron started, his face serious and stone like. "I was heading home for a while before I go to Nicky's to meet up with some of the guys. You want to come?"

He looked bored now and Robby wondered if he really wanted her to come or if he was asking her out of pity. But then she realized that it was Aaron, her best friend, and let herself smile.

"I'm coming," she told him, jumping away from the driver's side to skip to the passenger's.

So the whole thing was forced. Big deal. She wasn't really happy and she didn't really want to go to Nicky's. But if being around Aaron made her feel better and less put down, then that's what she was going to do.

Not to mention a part of her was saying it would really piss Pogue off and she couldn't skip the chance to do that.

"What in the _hell _are you listening to?" Robby cried when she was finally buckled in and got situated. Some kind of pop slash rap stuff was blaring from his speakers and she almost laughed at the implied lyrics.

Before he could even answer her she was fiddling with his buttons and trying to find a decent station. Parts of songs started to come out of the speakers before she would change it again.

"Pick one already," Aaron said, a little annoyed as he peeled away from the curb and started towards the country. "You want to go home to get clothes?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"You know me so well," she answered with a fake bright smile. She hoped, though, that he didn't notice it was fake.

_Has someone taken your faith? _ _Its real, the pain you feel_ _The life, the love _ _You die to heal _ _The hope that starts_ _The broken hearts_ _You trust, you must_ _Confess_

Robby smiled, finally stopping on a radio station that was worth listening to. She turned to smile at Aaron before turning the volume up. She started to beat the rhythm on her thighs as she let the music blare from the speakers.

_Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?_ _Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?_ _I've got another confession my friend_ _I'm no fool_ _I'm getting tired of starting again_ _Somewhere new_ _Were you born to resist or be abused?_ _I swear I'll never give in_ _I refuse_ _Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?_ _Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?_ _Has someone taken your faith?_ _Its real, the pain you feel_ _You trust, you must_ _Confess_ _Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?_ _Oh..._

"Aww, it's over!" Robby pouted and turned the volume back down before starting to fiddle with the dial again.

"Oh, how sad," Aaron mocked. She could tell he was relieved to get rid of the song and the expression on his face made her laugh.

"Let's go!" Robby yelled from Aaron's car. Her head was pounding for some excitement and Aaron was taking forever to lock up his stupid mansion. She was ready to head to Nicky's and do _something_.

After spending a little time with Aaron she had started to feel considerably better but the way Pogue had acted still haunted her thoughts. Not to mention the fact that someone was Using and taunting her.

She could have sworn she saw some sort of darkling through the mirror in the bathroom at Aaron's when she had gotten out of the shower but it had disappeared when she turned around to get a better look.

"Put a sock in it!" Aaron yelled back suddenly. He was finally making his way down the walk, though, and she smiled at him with triumph. She couldn't help but notice the way his jaw muscles stuck out when he clenched it in anger and it made her smile widen. The boy had some pretty good features…

"Don't even think about touching the radio or I'm going to cut off your hand," Aaron snapped when he got in the car. Robby looked at him in mock shock before shaking her head with a soft 'tsk'ing noise.

"That's attractive," she told him sarcastically. She let her hand hang out the window as she turned her head to face the other direction. The car gave off a low purr when Aaron finally started it up and she was reminded of why she loved it so much. Despite the fact that it was her favorite color, she had loved the car the first time she had set eyes on it. Aaron had bought it a few weeks before she had moved away and she had only gotten to ride in it a few times.

She had joked with Aaron when she left that she was going to miss his car more than him. She could still see the offended look he had given her.

They were speeding down the back roads before she knew it and the trees from the woods were passing quickly. They were now a rush of green, black, blue, and brown and Robby took the time to study them as they all fuzzed together.

It was actually really pretty…until something caught her attention.

She squinted and stuck her head out the window some more. It looked like that darkling she could have sworn she saw in the bathroom and when she looked closer she could almost put a face to the thing that stood in the woods. It was like the thing was floating as fast as they were but it wasn't going fuzzy like the trees. It was creepy.

A few seconds later she decided it actually _was _a darkling and that she couldn't ignore it anymore. She had to tell Caleb when she saw him.

"Earth to Robby!" Aaron snapped. Robby's attention turned to him quickly, her eyes reluctant to leave the scenery in front of her even though it had long sense been replaced by a large brick building.

"We're here and how you didn't notice is beyond me," Aaron joked as he opened his car door.

"Why are you so mean to me?" Robby pouted, hoping to pull off her act. It was bugging her, the darkling, but it wasn't like she could just turn to Aaron and tell him about it.

"Cause it's easy," Aaron answered slowly, giving her a suspicious look as he held out his hand to her. She shook her head with yet another forced smile before linking their hands together and letting him lead her towards the 'bar'. The place was packed and smelled like smoke and sweat. It was a typical night for Ipswich's teenage community, really. But that wasn't going to stop Robby from at least _trying _to have a fun time.

The Sons were most definitely going to be at Nicky's if they weren't already, which would make having a decent time really hard, especially if Tyler felt the need to look after her every move. Not to mention the little feud Reid and Aaron always had going on.

And Robby wasn't even going to think about Pogue. She just couldn't bare it.

Trying to get Pogue's attention again but still somehow avoiding the dreaded 'talk' was like pouring raindrops back into the clouds, which was, to say the least, impossible.

Aaron squeezed her hand and practically drug her towards a table near the pool tables. She remembered from when they were younger that that spot was where Aaron liked to hang out.

He was always trying to hustle someone in pool and his whole entire 'gang' of friends was always backing him up. Most of the time it just amused Robby but sometimes Aaron got into a game with the wrong people. Sure, there wasn't anything she could do about it, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

_By the looks of it he hasn't changed_, Robby thought as she took a seat in the darkest place she could find. She was pretty much planning on sitting there the whole night, trying to go unnoticed by anyone that had anything to do with the Sons.

Damn near impossible, that was!

"What do you want to drink?" Aaron asked, his eyes trailing around the pub. She wasn't sure if he was looking for a certain girl or if he was looking for someone to hustle, but either way it made her laugh.

"I just want a Pepsi," she told him with a firm nod of her head. She knew he was going to try and talk her into drinking something stronger, since he always managed to get it, but she wasn't in the mood to fight with him.

"Actually," he started after a few seconds of just standing there, "can you go get them? There's this girl over there…" his voice trailed off as he left Robby behind, all by her onesies. She scoffed, not even giving it a second thought as she threw herself out of the chair and through the crowd towards the bar.

"Hey Nicky!" She yelled, slapping her hand on the bar. She gave a wide grin when the 'bartender' finally looked up at her with a look of utter horror. She almost collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter.

"Come on, Nick. We gotta leave that behind us. I know better now. You're _way_ too old for me!"

She had been thirteen…or was that twelve?

She could still remember it clear as day. She had come in one day with her dad to get some burgers. It had been the first time she had been in the place and when she laid eyes on Nicky, everything else was lost.

She fell madly in love with him right there.

Now-a-days she blamed it on hormones but deep down inside she knew it was for a different reason. She wasn't sure what reason that was exactly, but it wasn't hormones.

Robby mock scoffed at the skeptical look he gave her and then turned it back into a grin.

"I just want a Pepsi!" She cried, sticking out her bottom lip a bit. Finally, the old man turned around with a clean glass in his hands.

She was about to start taunting him again when _someone's_ elbow drove home into her stomach. She let out a sound between a groan and a gasp as she leant forward.

When she finally set eyes on the person closest to her, she tried to shake it off. It was some girl she didn't know and had no intention on knowing.

Why the hell would a stranger elbow her in the gut?

"Fuck!" She yelped when this time the elbow landed in a spot right over her ribs. A sharp pain charged through her lungs and she held her breath. She could tell her face was getting red, probably from a combination of lack of oxygen and anger.

"You did that on purpose!" She hissed, her hand grabbing onto the girl's shoulder to twirl her around.

Pogue let out a grunt as he shouldered his way through the crowd. His head was pounding from all the thoughts swimming inside of it. The jealous sort of rage burning in him over Kate wasn't helping anything either. He didn't exactly trust that Chase fellow. The guy had come out of nowhere and just jumped right into the whole 'social scene' and as far was Pogue was concerned, no one had invited him.

The fact that the guy was actually hitting on Pogue Parry's girl was just a bonus in pissing him off. He couldn't exactly say he didn't feel anything for Kate. They had been dating for a while and on certain levels he thought maybe he actually loved her. But then things would happen to make him seem not so sure anymore.

Tonight was one of those nights.

Walking in after that stupid little stunt with Robby to find his girlfriend flirting with another guy, well, anyone would have called that 'one of those nights'.

_The fucker even had the nerve to mock me_, he thought darkly. He found his eyes wondering down the backside of a pretty blonde as he passed and he couldn't help but smirk.

It was gone just a few seconds later.

His head had been driving him crazy all day. He had been fine that same morning but when he finally started talking to Robby and waking up, thoughts of the previous night had come back to him.

He had wanted to talk to Robby about everything that had happened before she left. He had wanted to tell her he still had feelings for her, no matter how he had acted back then. But she had brushed him off with the crappy reason of being tired. Being tired had never stopped her before and it was only at the mechanic shop that he finally came to realize she was just trying to avoid the discussion. She had known it was coming and the first excuse that came to her mind was the one she used.

He had honestly felt let down and a bit hurt. He felt like he wasn't even worth thinking up a good excuse for. But then again, it was Robby he was thinking about.

He had grown up with the girl, after all, and he had thought he'd known her like the back of his hand. The moment she walked back into his life had changed that.

He had seen her, standing there in a screaming match with Tyler, and he couldn't stop staring. Her eyes weren't even dancing with the fire of anger and rage like they used to. They were cold, colder than he had ever seen them before.

She had gotten good at hiding her feelings he had realized. And that thought made his heart ache and wonder if he was the cause of it all. He had hoped a thousand times over that she would have at least _called _him or maybe even Tyler, just to let them know she was alright, to let _him _know.

The thoughts running in his head were just so confusing. There was Kate and there was Robby and then there was Caleb Ascending.

And that new threat that was obviously out there.

He had retold Robby's story to Caleb and right in the middle of it Caleb had seen a darkling. If that hadn't been a sign that someone was after them, he didn't know what was.

He reached the counter finally. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at the scene in front of him.

He recognized that ass.

He watched with vague interest as the girl next to her jabbed her in the side with an elbow. He wanted to snort with laughter but he stopped himself just in time to watch Robby shoot a quick glance at the girl before turning round again.

A few seconds later the same girl jammed her elbow right into Robby's ribs. He winced visibly, knowing that it had to have hurt. He had taken a few elbows to the ribs in his day and they weren't fun.

By the time he turned his attention back to Robby, she had her hand clenched around the girl's shoulder and she looked very pissed off.

His feet carried him forward before he could even think about it and he latched onto her arm, pulling her back against him. The girl who had elbowed her gave him an astonished look before looking a bit frightened and hurrying away. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he ushered Robby forward.

"For once in your short life," a deep, annoyed voice said, "try and stay out of trouble!"


	9. Mad Hurt

**Edited on December 13, 2010**

**Fair Warning: MILD sexual scenes below. Really mild mind you. And lots of language. And as always an IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Covenant characters. (Pogue, Caleb, Aaron, Reid, Tyler)**

"God, why do they all have to be such bitches?" Robby scoffed, throwing her hands up over her head and scowling at the air in front of her.

"It's like they all have this code. 'Look, there's Tyler Simms' sister. She gets to spend all her time with the Sons. Let's go beat her up!' I swear that's how it goes. I swear!" She ranted as she turned to jab a finger into her brother's chest. He shied away from her, rubbing a finger to his now sore peck.

"That hurt." He whined, a mock frown adorning his face.

"Shut up!" Robby snapped before her face took on a look of realization.

"You!" She cried, turning to glare at an indifferent Pogue. "You didn't let me kick her ass!"

She socked him then, right on the side of his arm, and frowned when he didn't move away or make any sounds of pain.

He just stood there, like a stone wall. That pissed her off even more so she raised her fist again. She was going to let it connect with his stomach this time but he caught her wrist in mid-motion.

"Do it and I swear you'll regret it," he snapped, his tone was clipped and icy, jaw set and muscles bulging. She scowled even though deep down she knew he would stick to his word. Her other fist shot up and rammed itself into the non-existent depths of his stomach. He let out a loud, fast whoosh of air.

Robby didn't get any time to bask in her glory because a few seconds later she was pushed roughly into one of the wall of Nicky's, two hands on either side of her head and a hard body pressed against hers.

She gulped, trying to look anywhere but at Pogue Parry.

He was in the iciest of moods lately and suddenly she felt huge regret for punching him.

"Back off!" A voice demanded. Robby's head turned but she had to duck to see who was coming to her rescue.

To her surprise she found a vaguely familiar face staring back at her. She couldn't quite place the way his hair was spiked but she knew she had seen it before. She had also seen his eyes before, she realized. With a shake of her head, she straightened herself and leaned against the wall. Her mouth tugged upwards in a triumphant smile as she finally locked gazes with Pogue. Whoever he was, he was doing her a favor by jumping in and she wasn't about to protest.

Her gaze seemed to taunt him with an all too knowing look.

It sort of said something along the lines of 'Ha-ha! What are you gonna do now'.

"Get lost Chase!" Pogue snapped with venom as he turned to stare at the spiky haired guy.

So that's where she knew him from. She had met him at the bonfire party the other day and again in the woods when they were leaving. She remembered back then she had felt an eerie feeling about him and as she turned to look at him again, she realized why. He sort of had this dark expression on his face, as if he had slipped in letting it show through. His eyes were filled with hate and his mouth almost seemed to sneer at Pogue. But just as quickly as she had noticed it, it was gone again.

"Just let it be man," Reid said as he laid a hand on Chase's shoulder. Chase turned to look at him with a blank expression and Reid shook his head. "They have history," Reid elaborated, as if that was the only explanation Chase needed. Robby scoffed at Reid from under Pogue's arm but was sure Reid hadn't noticed.

"I told you not to," Pogue told her icily as she finally turned to look at him again. His voice was calm but his eyes were livid. She was about to retort but he pressed his body even harder against hers. The air rushed out of her lungs and she was left gaping at him with a glare.

Heat rushed from her face all the way down to her toes and then back up again. Her spine tingled with anticipation and her eyes fluttered for a moment. The feel of Pogue pressed up against her was unfamiliar territory and she hated the feeling he was giving her. Her stomach was turning and her limbs were starting to go numb. She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. She was afraid of what he would see in her own.

Lust probably. Because that's exactly what she was feeling.

It was a strong want for him and the feel of his clothes against her bare skin made her shiver. A chill swept over her but was replaced by heat a few seconds later. Her body ached in parts she shouldn't have even been aware of and she gasped for air again.

It was a strong sense of lust that over road even her anger at him. It even over road the hurt she felt deep down inside. It was a strong emotion, she realized with the up most disgust.

And with that feeling of disgust her anger rose again in full force.

She wanted to tell him how much of a dick he was and yell at him for being so mean. She wanted to ask him what in the world she had done to deserve his cold shoulder, but she never got the chance.

"Pogue!" A deep voice yelled, followed by a hand on Pogue's shoulder.

They both turned to see Caleb looking between them, a serious expression on his face.

Without a word, he nudged his head towards the pool tables.

Robby let her gaze travel towards them and rolled her eyes at the all too familiar site.

Aaron and Reid were fighting over something and it looked like they were about to take it outside...which they did a few seconds later. Robby, Pogue, and Caleb followed afterwards, all of them already knowing what this little fight was about.

By the time they got there Reid and Aaron were rolling up their sleeves and throwing insults at each other.

Robby didn't pay attention to anything Caleb was saying to Aaron but instead watched the scene with a lot of interest. She wanted to be able to jump in if anything happened.

The truth was that she really didn't want to take sides. Reid and Aaron meant the same to her. Though Reid never really talked to her and only succeeded on making her really angry, he was still her brother by way of Covenant. And that had meaning to her no matter what.

But Aaron had always been close to her, at least since they had been little anyway. He hadn't given her any reason to stand against him. By the time she actually started to tune into the conversation, the large group was silent and all of them were looking up at the doorway. Robby's gaze followed with a bit of weariness but she understood the silence when her eyes landed on Nicky, a baseball bat clutched in his large hands.

She couldn't help but grin at the angry expression he wore. He looked really, really menacing.

"Take it somewhere else," he called to the group of boys, his gaze flitting between all of them. When he finally locked eyes with her, she grinned and gave him an innocent wave.

When Nicky was gone, she jumped in front of Reid before he could say anything else and threw herself into Aaron's arms.

"I'll catch a ride with someone else. I have to take care of some..." she trailed off, her gaze landing on Reid and then on Caleb, "things," she finished lamely.

"Alright," Aaron grunted. He pressed a quick, unexpected kiss to her forehead before motioning to his lackeys. When they finally disappeared behind the door, she turned on the rest of the Covenant members.

"What's going on?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the glare Caleb was giving Reid.

"Reid Used to beat Aaron at pool," her twin whispered in her ear as he sauntered over to her.

She found herself slowly nodding, but deep down she was actually thanking Reid. She needed the distraction. Even though Using probably wasn't the best idea right now with a threat on the loose, she couldn't help but feel grateful.

She didn't know if she could stand to be torn up by any more thoughts of Pogue and the way he was treating her.

"Here we go," Robby muttered as she turned on her heel and walked a few steps away.

There was no way she was going to be near either Caleb or Reid when they both exploded. It was going to get dangerous, she knew that much, but she didn't know how dangerous. Space was usually the best protection in these sorts of occasions.

"Stop while you're ahead," she told the pair, crossing her arms over her chest and letting her gaze flicker between the two.

"Shut up, Robby," Reid snapped, his eyes going black as his anger finally got the better of him. Robby took a few weary steps forward, ready to break it up since neither Pogue nor Tyler had made a move to do it for her. She let her own eyes go black as she stopped a few feet from between them and watched with interest as they continued to argue. When she finally got the idea that Reid was actually going to do something, she stepped between them and threw out her arms.

The barrel Reid had thrown stopped just seconds after he had thrown it and Caleb had no time to retaliate.

"Stop! The both of you!" Robby hissed, her arms still outstretched. "You both know I hate fights. You're supposed to be brothers for God's sakes. Why can't you learn to trust each other?" She looked pointedly at Caleb before snapping her head over to look at Reid.

"And why can't you grow up and start taking responsibility of the powers that are both a curse and a gift? We have bigger threats to worry about right now and we don't need you guys fighting each other. We can't afford it. We're all vulnerable. None of us have Ascended. Whoever's out there has way more power than any of us alone. We need to stick together." She dropped her hands, the barrel falling from mid-air with a clatter and a loud bang.

"We can't fall apart from the inside," she told the both of them, pleading with her eyes.

Silence fell on the group, all of them darting glances at each other, waiting for one of them to break the tension.

"I saw a darkling on my way here," Robby whispered finally, walking over to slump against the building to stare at the boys worriedly.

Caleb's eyebrows rose with worry, "Where were you?"

"I was in the car with Aaron. We were driving back from his house. It was out in the woods." Robby explained, not missing the snort that came from Pogue.

"So whoever it is is mainly targeting Caleb and Robby," Tyler mused out loud, his own brow furrowed in confusion.

"I don't see why," Robby muttered darkly. Her thoughts weren't exactly on that anymore.

She never could focus now-a-days.

The fact that Pogue had scoffed at her Aaron comment had made her extremely angry and she still couldn't figure out what in the hell it was supposed to mean.

"I think all of us should stop Using for now. Just to be safe. Now, let's get back inside," she caught Caleb saying as he motioned to the door.

"Wanna get back to your girlfriend don't you?" Robby mocked with a smirk. Caleb shot a mock scoff in her direction before turning to head back inside.

"You coming?" Tyler called out.

"No," she said softly, her gaze caught on the gravel at her feet. Sounds of footsteps and crunching rocks could be heard as the others made their way inside and Robby let her head drop back against the wall. She took a deep breath, the cold air biting at her lungs and almost making her gasp.

This was intense, she decided. Ever since she had come back it was one dramatic situation after the other and she couldn't help but wonder why it had to happen like this, to her. She wondered what she'd done wrong...

"What're you thinking about?" A deep voice questioned.

Robby jumped and barely contained a curse word before she set back against the wall again. His footsteps drew him closer until she could feel him standing beside her, his chest facing her. She moved away from him subconsciously as her heart pounded in her ears.

The smell of him alone was intoxicating enough. She couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't look at him and let him see the fear in her eyes.

"You know, before you left, you were so bad at the whole relationship thing. You were like a robot. You were there but it was like you couldn't actually feel anything. Like I could have punched you in the gut and you wouldn't have even gasped. It pissed me off so much. You were so business like and formal. We were in a relationship but at the same time we weren't. You had let me in, I'll admit, but then I knew back then there was so much you were still hiding. There was so much you were keeping from me and it drove me so insane that one day I just snapped. I had spent the whole day just thinking in my apartment.

The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got. It was like I was pouring my heart into a relationship that wasn't leading anywhere. I convinced myself that everything I was feeling for you was one sided. That if you loved me, you would at least show it. Show some sort of passion….So you never did tell us why you came back?"

Robby was amazed at how easily he had changed subjects and for a few seconds she wondered why he had suddenly closed himself off after exposing all of that to her. But somehow she found the power to shrug it off.

"My old man's dead," she said with shrug as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Dead?" Pogue asked, his hand shot up to run through his hair as a nervous habit and Robby almost laughed.

"Well, not yet," Robby corrected herself. "But he will be. He's addicted. He's almost to Caleb's father's stage. I bailed on him, you see. I couldn't watch him fall apart like that. He drunk like a fish most of the time and if he wasn't drinking he was passed out. I spent most of my time in Cali taking care of him. One day I just told him I was done, that I quit. I said I was moving in with a friend and I was going to get a job and take care of myself. But he refused. He said that if I was leaving I was going to go somewhere he wanted me to go. He said all this bull shit about having to be in a set place where I could be made to go to school. Like Spencer's is any better." She paused, her eyes taking on a little twinkle as she thought back to her old school.

She let out a random laugh then and turned away from Pogue, her heart aching in her chest.

"Have you told Tyler?" Pogue asked. His voice was small, almost a whisper, and Robby wondered if that was hurt she had picked up.

"No. Not yet. I…I haven't found the strength," she answered truthfully as she turned back to him. "He hasn't seen the old man in two years. I mean, Father left Tyler in a way. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what Tyler will say when he finds out. I'm half expecting him to laugh in my face and ask if I really thought he cared. I know I don't. Not as much as I used to. He's a selfish man, my father." She took a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh.

She was trying her hardest to shake off the fact that she was actually talking to Pogue, a real deep conversation, too. She hadn't talked to him in ages it felt like and in reality it had been ages. It was weird setting everything on the table after all the hurt and pain the both of them had been put through.

_He started it_, she reminded herself before vowing to finish it.

"So you didn't want to come back then?" Pogue asked, his voice was only slightly louder than it had been before and she wondered if he too was lost in thought, but she didn't have the strength to look him in the eyes to find out.

"No. I didn't," she said bluntly, shrugging her shoulders. She was watching him out of the corner of her eyes, watching as his slumped posture suddenly straightened in a new wave of anger. But she ignored it, and went on.

"I'd been gone for two years. None of you guys wrote or called. And it's not like I wrote or called. You four and Aaron were the only ones I had here. What's the point of going back to a place where you're not wanted?" she pushed off the wall to stand in front of him before she crossed her arms over her chest and looked him in the eye.

"Just because we didn't call or write, doesn't mean we didn't want you." Pogue snapped, pushing himself off the wall too.

"Oh, yeah? What's it mean then?" Robby questioned with a harsh, mocking laugh. Pogue scoffed and took a step closer to her. His hazel eyes were full of fire and Robby knew she was pushing him to the edge. He would lose control if she kept going at this rate.

"And if we did call or write? You think you would have answered? No. Because I wasn't the only one running from my feelings. You were heartbroken and you were scared shitless to face any of us. You were too busy being selfish and heartless to realize maybe your brother needed you. You were too worried about the embarrassment. I had broken up with you and you were weak for once in your god damn life-"

Pogue was cut with a loud snap. He worked his jaw, the stinging feeling of Robby's slap vibrating through his face. He turned his head back strait again, his hazel eyes suddenly cold.

"When did our fights become physical, Robby?" Pogue asked coolly as he took another step forward. Robby took one back, her heart pounding in her ears as realization dawned on her.

She had just slapped Pogue Parry...and she was not about to get away with it. That was for sure. She shied away, her head lowering in hopes of getting away from Pogue's piercing gaze. Heat traveled throughout her body as her cheeks flamed. She wasn't scared. No. She knew Pogue would never hit her or cause her physical damage. But she was anxious. Anxious of what words were going to slip from his mouth. She had just slapped him, after all, and there was no way he was just going to let that go. Pogue Parry was better than that. He could think of much worse ways to tare a girl in two.

But words wouldn't be Pogue Parry's way this time. Oh no. He had something much better planned for Robby.

Robby hissed in pain as her head connected with the concrete wall behind her but the sound was swallowed by a mouth, Pogue's mouth that had come crashing down on hers. It was a harsh kiss full of something Robby knew couldn't be passion.

She melted right then and there despite her better judgment. She had melted like a love sick puppy and Pogue once again had her heart in his hands.

The cruel meaning of his actions set in and her heart seemed to shatter in her chest as Pogue's tongue slipped into her mouth, crushing her tongue as his lips bruised her lips. His hips pinned hers against the wall and her back ached from the stones cutting into her through her shirt. But she didn't have the strength, the will, or the room to pull away. The fact that she was at the mercy of Pogue would have been enough to break her, but he had gone further than that. He wanted to shatter her.

He was reminding her of something that was no longer hers, something she longed for and dreamt about. He was reminding her that she loved him no matter what she said. And he knew it. He was giving her this harsh, bitter kiss because he knew that he was going to rip it away in just a few seconds. The fact that she knew what he was doing didn't stop the pain, though. It still hurt as much. Feeling his mouth against hers and his hips pressing into her was enough to drive her over the edge. At the same time her heart was shattering but soaring. All of its broken pieces jumping for joy at these few seconds she got with the man she loved. But the man obviously loved another.

He was gone as quick as he had come and Robby was left panting, fresh tears blurring her vision and slowly making a trail down her pale cheeks. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and her mind seemed to be racing. She couldn't help but wonder when she would feel his lips on hers again, if ever. And the pain in her returned as she thought about how the man she loved had suddenly cast her aside and used her own feelings against her. The harsh meaning of his actions alone was a lot to bear and she almost collapsed from the emotional pain, but somehow, she stayed on her feet, driven by her pain instead of engulfed in it.

"I HATE YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. A strangled sob escaped her lips as her balled fists struck out at him, hitting their marks but doing no damage.

The sound of her own screams muffled the sounds of the door opening and pounding feet and then arms wrapping around her.

For a fleeting second she thought it was Pogue. She thought he had suddenly come to regret what he had done but as soon as her eyes darted up her hope left. And pain ripped through her again. A louder sob escaped her as she collapsed into Aaron's arms, always her knight in shining armor. He pulled her close, muttering sweet nothings in her ear and rocking her on her feet. When, a few minutes later, her sobs had subsided, Aaron turned his gaze to an ever cold Pogue.

"You're an ass, Parry, the lowest of the low." Aaron seethed as his hand cupped the back of Robby's head. He shuffled her towards the door when he finally took his glare off of Pogue and helped her up the steps. Smoke and music greeted them from inside. Robby didn't take her head from his shoulder, but clung to him tighter. Aaron shoved his way through the crowd, most of them moving when they realized he had a crying girl in his arms. And when he reached their table, he looked down at Caleb, Reid, and Tyler with sad eyes, for once not masking his emotions.

"I'm taking Robby home," he informed the three, plus Sarah. "You better keep your boy in check or I might be inclined to do something," he spat out. He made a move to leave with Robby but Tyler latched onto his forearm, tired, caring eyes looked up at him.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked, nodding towards his sister.

"Her hearts broken," Aaron mumbled over his shoulder as he walked away.

**Author's Note: So, I'm sorry for all of the spelling mistakes in this. My Word wouldn't work for some reason and I tried to look up all the words I didn't know but that didn't work out too well. I wanted to get this out as soon as possible though. So here it is! Turned in and nice and pretty for you folks.**

**Important Note: I am returning to school on Wednesday. Updates will be slower I think. Just a fair warning for all of you guys. But I know where this story is going so it shouldn't take me THAT long with updates. **

**Also...Rosa (purpleangel) and I are making a Covenant award site. I don't know when it will be up or when it will be finished. We've just now decided this. But drop me a note if you guys think you're going to be interested. Because an awards site is nothing without people to vote and nominate. And, I am currently co-writing a story with purpleangel called 'Anyone But You'. I urge all of you to check it out. She has mad brilliant ideas for this story! It's uploaded on her account so look her up. Thanks:D**


	10. Erich

**Edited on December 13, 2010**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sons (Tyler, Pogue, Reid, or Caleb) and I don't own Aaron either. Robby and Erich are mine though.**

**Note: Sorry guys. I was having major document trouble. I HATE fanfiction! More at bottom!**

Robby woke with a start, shooting strait up with her eyes roaming the room. Her heart pounded in her chest as her unfamiliar surroundings started to set in. She took a few more seconds, letting the navy blue walls and comfy full bed register. She turned, her eyes stopping on the night stand that sat on the left side of the bed. She reached out and grasped the picture, bringing it closer to her face to examine it.

Aaron's.

She was at Aaron's.

_Thank god_, she thought with a sigh before she let herself collapse again. Her eyes burned as she closed them again and she was suddenly reminded of the reason. Thank God for Aaron because he really was a God-send. She didn't know what she would have done without him. For one thing she probably never would have made it to a bed in one piece.

She remembered now, if she squinted her eyes. Aaron had taken her from Nicky's, out into the woods. The next parts were a bit fuzzy but she figured they revolved around them talking or Aaron trying to comfort her; either that or Aaron kicking things and cursing at Pogue's cold heartedness. Robby wasn't sure because all of them were very good possibilities.

With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself from underneath the warm covers and let her feet drop to the floor. The wood was cold on her bare feet and she gave a little shiver before moving towards the door and pulling it open. Everything was silent on the other side of it and she cautiously moved down the hallway, following the oh-so-familiar trail to the kitchen. Aaron could most always be found in the kitchen either pestering the Abbot cook or getting something to eat for himself. He was a growing teenage boy after all.

Robby stuck her sore hand out and pushed through the swinging door just to find the huge kitchen empty. She frowned and moved over to the counter in the middle of the kitchen where a bowl of fruit and a plate of donuts set.

"Hmm," she murmured as she picked up the small folded piece of paper right next to the donuts.

_Good morning sunshine, the earth says hello_, it read.

_I had football practice this morning and I won't be back till none. I doubt you'll even be awake by then but I'm writing this just in case. Obviously you've already found the donuts so enjoy and stuff your big fat mouth. :) _

_Tyler phoned early this morning before I left. He says he's going to take you out to some little new cafe in town. He also said to be ready by 3:00. I told him I would take care of it and we both agreed that you're going._

Robby paused in her reading, letting her eyes roam upwards until they landed on the ceiling with thought. What day was it anyway? She couldn't remember. It was like everything that had happened last night with...him, had wiped out everything else. It was the only thing she could think of anyway.

_At least I'll have Aaron and Tyler to keep me busy today_, she told herself with a small shrug. She turned back to the note, her eyes working hard to find the spot she had left off at.

_It's Sunday by the way. And if you think you're going to pull that 'you didn't wake me up for church' thing, you're dead wrong. I know you don't go to church._

_Be back soon._

_Aaron_

So it was Sunday. How in the hell had Aaron picked up on all the little things about Robby? He had probably always known. It wasn't like she paid that much attention before she left. She was too busy with...

She stopped herself. It wasn't right thinking about him all the time after what he had just pulled last night. It wasn't right and it made her heart hurt. She had to stop soon or she was going to end up going insane.

She looked back down at the note in her hands and reread the part about Tyler taking her out and then let her eyes shift to the clock. She had about an hour and a half to get ready, which also meant that Aaron was about an hour and half late.

_Typical_, Robby thought as she picked up a donut from the tray and started her trek back upstairs. She was going to have to sort through all the clothes she had at Aaron's and decide what she wanted to wear. It was only a café, after all, which meant it wouldn't be that hard. And then she would have to shower and do all that sort of stuff. That hardly left her enough time to hang with Aaron if he came back anytime soon.

She had spent her whole life hanging with Aaron though, she admitted that. But the fact of the matter was that Aaron was like her brother. Not her twin or the other piece of her soul or anything, just a brother. He looked after her and made her feel better when she was down. Growing up together had helped matters a lot, too. She had spent every waking moment with the boy and they had even taken turns spending the night at each others' houses. The guestroom next to Aaron's (the room Robby had stayed in last night) was actually dubbed 'Robby's Room'. His mom had even had it redone in all the colors Robby liked.

Pictures of them together hung all over the house and brought up great memories and some not so great. It was like her second home.

But two years had changed that.

As she walked up the stairs and started to pay attention to the family pictures hanging on the wall, she realized all of hers had been removed. It was just Aaron and even a few of Kyra.

_They didn't think I was coming back_, she thought with a sad smile as she passed by Aaron's kindergarten picture. A copy of her own kindergarten picture had used to hang right next to it. But obviously those ages were over. She almost felt like making Aaron put them back up.

Robby didn't have a home anymore. It certainly wasn't with her mother and her father had ruined everything that she had even held close. The only real chance she had left was Aaron's house and even it seemed to be too changed now. It was sad how one little moment or one choice could change a person's life forever.

Robby popped the last remains of her donut into her mouth before entering the bathroom.

She headed right towards the green color Jacuzzi tub and started to fill it with hot water.

When steam started to rise from it she finally popped the plug into place and headed back towards her room. The dresser and the closet were full of her clothes, most of them from two years ago.

She hoped she could fit into them.

About fifteen minutes later she had decided on a pair of knee less jeans and a simple white tee shirt. She threw them on top of the toilet as she passed before starting to strip down.

She shivered when she finally got into the hot water. It was just what she needed to calm her nerves and she wasn't going to let anything ruin it for her.

Robby sat on the porch, hair finally dried and make up looking nice. The soft sound of Beethoven was making its way from the house behind her and she savored the sweet sound of the piano. She had always liked it but had only lasted a few lessons when she tried to play. The teacher had told her she didn't have the fingers for it or the patience.

Robby, of course, had to do everything in her power to control her fist from smacking into the woman's face.

She had been young then, she mused. And God her temper had been horrible. She yelled at everyone for any little thing back then. It was a wonder she had any friends at all.

She almost let out a laugh at the memory of Aaron's face when she used to yell at him, something between a pout and a scowl. She had never known one person could look like they were going to cry and yell at the same time. Not until she had met Pogue and seen the look on herself. Then she had realized what it took to make a person look that way, to feel that way.

The loud crunch of gravel made her look up and her eyes narrowed for a few seconds before it dawned on her that the approaching car belonged to Tyler. She still couldn't get used to the fact that he drove a Hummer. Of course, he had stayed back in Ipswich where all the money was. Their father had left everything to their mother during the divorce and Robby had only gotten her first car six months after the move. It was an old beat up Volkswagen the color of rust red. Robby always thought it was more rust then red, though.

Robby scoffed playfully at Tyler when he finally got out of the car and pretended to throw a rock at his precious car, but her oh-so-close twin didn't even flinch.

"I hate you!" Robby whined. She let a fake smile take the place of her scoff and at the same time Tyler's smile fell from his face.

"Don't," he told her demandingly.

Robby gave him a look, a cross between confused and uncaring.

"Don't give me that fake smile," Tyler told her, pointing an accusing finger. "I know you like the back of my hand."

"Maybe that's because we practically have the same back hand," Robby told him with a light snarl. "So where are you taking me?" She asked as she moved towards the passenger side.

"It's a new cafe in town. Now just shut up and enjoy the ride," Tyler snapped with a roll of his eyes. Robby scoffed but pulled herself into the huge truck anyway.

Robby stumbled through the door, her face aflame with the red color of blood.

She turned, her dark eyes falling on Tyler to glare at her twin. He had purposefully shoved her. She knew he had and he wasn't going to get away with it that easily.

"Go get a seat. I'm going to go get us something to drink and look around. Socialize." Tyler told her, shoving her again. She stumbled, this time successfully catching herself before she ran into anything. She let a few murmured curses slip past her lips before she started towards an empty table for two by the window. The fact that the weather outside reflected her mood, was only more of a point to stay inside where she could sulk.

She didn't think words could describe how much she hated Tyler and Aaron at that moment and she could only thank God she hadn't seen Caleb or Reid. She didn't even want to know what those two would say about her whole stupid situation.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't so stupid. Every girl would break down if she got her heart broken, wouldn't she? It was only common sense. The thought didn't make her feel any better or any less stupid though. In a way she felt like she had walked right into, like one of those traps in the woods covered by grass that sent you plummeting onto a sharp piece of wood. And then you feel the stab and it hurts like hell. She had been stabbed in the heart when she had fallen.

Yeah, that was the perfect way to describe it.

With a sigh she slumped forward, gluing her dark eyes onto the table in front of her. There was some kind of crumbs there. Probably some type of cake the little cafe sold. Which lead her to realize she hadn't even given the place a once over.

She vowed to do it later, but for now she was content on staring at the table. Somehow she figured it took up less energy. Maybe if she spent all of her brain power on trying to figure out what kind of food the crumbs came from, she wouldn't have to think about the pain deep down in her chest.

"You look glum," a deep voice stated. It was one of those voices that sent shivers down your spine and made you look up almost immediately because you just had to put a face to the voice. But she didn't look up. The voice reminded her too much of Pogue.

The wooden chair across from her made scraping noises on the floor as it was pulled back from the table, but she still didn't look over. She was still trying to concentrate on the crumbs.

She was guessing now it was from some sort of coffee cake...

Hands obscured her vision, covering up the crumbs. Robby scoffed down at them, taking in their length and the calluses that were littered there. Whoever it was was obviously male and he had long fingers, long kept fingers. They actually looked pretty good. No mud under the fingernails and the calluses were barely noticeable. The hands were intertwined at the fingers and held together, only like a male would do when he was talking business.

_What in the hell am I doing_, she thought suddenly with an inner kick to her butt. She was sitting there studying some stranger's fingers and hands!

She slowly let her eyes trail upwards, taking in the leather jacket with a flinch and then taking in the white shirt that sat underneath it. She looked over his right shoulder, noticing the strong muscles that sat there, pulled tight as if he was tense and then she trailed to the left, taking in that shoulder the same way she had the first. Whoever it was, was strong, well built, and sturdy, she concluded as she let her eyes travel even further upwards. His skin was tan. She imagined it probably fit his personality. She discovered hair on his chin, a slight beard, and she let her eyebrows nit together in confusion. No one around Ipswich, that she knew, had a beard. He had a slight mustache, too, which seemed like it fit him pretty well. His hair on his beard was blonde and when she looked to the right she could see that his hair was too. It was short and cropped and it looked like he didn't do much to it. Plump lips were right below his mustache and they seemed to glow a light red color, like he had just licked them (which he probably had). His nose seemed to be proportioned with his face, not too big and not too small and had a nice rounded tip.

His eyes were blank and so was his expression. They were a nice deep brown color and the only word Robby could think up to describe them was mysterious. Something flickered in them every now and then but it was always gone before Robby could pick up on what it was. He was a mysterious character, this one.

"You're not from around here," Robby pointed out to him before clearing her throat. She hadn't realized how hoarse her voice had gotten.

"No, I'm not," he replied simply with a shrug of his shoulders. His dark eyes flickered again and Robby tried hard to register the emotion, but it was gone when she blinked. "I'm on vacation."

"Vacation from what?" Robby asked before she could stop herself.

"Curiosity killed the cat," she heard him mutter under his breath before his eyes locked with hers again. "From college. I'm studying to become a lawyer in Boston."

Robby slowly nodded, all of her thoughts coming together now. She realized why he looked so old and why she had never seen him around before and she found it all painfully obvious now.

"What brings you to Ipswich?" She asked, leaning towards the stranger in front of her as she lowered her voice. She could feel the eyes and stares of people and it was literally giving her the creeps. Ipswich wasn't exactly the most open place in the world. Everyone liked to keep to themselves and it made Robby feel like a traitor for talking to an outsider.

"Curiosity."

His answer was grunted and Robby barely caught the ghost of a smile on his lips. She almost smiled herself. His smile was contagious. She could tell he was the type of person that didn't do it often but when he did it sort of lit up the whole room.

"You just said it killed the cat," Robby corrected him with a mocking finger pointed in his direction.

He let out a harsh chuckle then and Robby flinched away from him. It wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't the best sound in the world. It actually sounded forced, she realized. It was almost alluring. She hadn't heard anything like it and she had met a lot of people in her time.

"What's your name kid?" He asked suddenly, his eyes yet again flickering.

"Robby." She blurted out without thinking, a small smile still on her face. "Simms," she added hurriedly. The stranger smiled at her, his white teeth showing again. But this smile wasn't like the other one. This one was more forced, like he was trying to hide the fact he was thinking about something.

"What's yours?" She cut him off before he could say anything else and cocked her head to the side. "And I'm not a kid. I'm probably only about two years younger than you." She added in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Erich Osburne." He answered slowly with a raised eyebrow. To Robby it almost seemed like he was hesitant in giving her his name at all. But she couldn't figure out why. It wasn't like she was the new person in town that was poking questions at everyone.

"Hmm. Interesting name," she mocked with a small smile. He grunted, obviously not amused.

"So what's it like in college?" Robby asked, not aware of what she had gotten herself into.

He started off before she could even blink an eye and she realized that maybe she had started talking about a subject he liked because he went on and on. And Robby, surprisingly, listened to him with great interest. He was a hockey and a soccer player and both sports took up most of his time when he wasn't studying or in class. He seemed like a pretty devoted person, ambitious to say the least. He was pretty serious, too. He never really cracked a smile the whole time he was talking and the only expression she did get out of him was a few raised eyebrows or squinted eyes, or even a frown or two.

She had interrupted a few times, questioning him on a few things and asking him why exactly he wanted to become a slimy lawyer (as she put it). And that had set him off again. He had told her about the way he liked to defend the innocent people and just from talking about it Robby realized he was a real deep thinker. He thought _everything_ through before he said it out loud and it seemed like he had his whole life plan written down somewhere in that head of his.

When he had finally stopped his small rants, raves, and speeches, he turned the questions to her. He had even gone as far as to ask what her favorite color was.

And then he took out a major bomb.

"Why do you look so sad?" He asked her, leaning in even closer then he already was. Robby frowned, all the muscles in her body pulling tight and tense. How was she supposed to answer a question like that? It was almost impossible. You couldn't make someone else feel the extent of your heartbreak, no matter how hard you tried. And she really didn't want anyone else to have to feel her pain.

Robby leaned back, away from Erich until her back was pressed firmly against the back of the chair.

"I had my heart broken," she finally decided on. She let her eyes drift back to the table, tracing the lines of the wood. She tried to focus on the question of whether or not it was real wood but she couldn't seem to stay focused with Erich's eyes drilling holes in her head.

"Look at me," he told her softly, so softly she just had to look up. His eyes were still blank but something in the way his face looked made her believe he was trying to be sincere.

"What happened?" He prodded.

"There was this guy…." Robby found herself saying before she trailed off. Her eyes filled with unwelcome tears and she brushed them away hurriedly. "We had been dating for a while. It was about two years back. I was totally in love with him but I guess you could say I had a lot of problems with actually showing it. I guess most of the problems were caused by me but the winter of our sophomore year, we really started to go downhill. We fought about every little thing. And then I got the news. My parents were divorcing and I was going to move to California with my dad. I was going to have to leave my friends and my twin brother behind, not to mention Pogue, the guy I loved. So as soon as I had stopped crying I left to go to Pogue's apartment.

It was a slow walk up the stairs and I stopped at least two times to collapse and sob. Everything was falling down around me and I really felt like it was the end of the world. It was so hard for me to keep walking up those stairs, knowing what I had to tell the only boy I really loved that I was leaving him. When I reached his floor, I had to take a few breathes before I actually knocked. When he opened up he had the coldest expression on his face.

Long story short, he ended up breaking up with me before I left for California. I spent two years there and I never called or wrote, not even to my twin Tyler. I was too heartbroken. And when I came back Pogue had a girlfriend. He had obviously moved on. But he was still really important to me. You just can't let your first love go. He ended up kissing me last night. But it wasn't really a kiss. He just did it to break me. We had been fighting and I had slapped him…" she let more tears fall and brushed them away again, letting Erich fill in the rest of the story on his own. It wasn't like she had all the time in the world to sit there with him and spill her guts, even if it was what she wanted to do.

And that was strange

How many people in the world had she ever chosen to show her real emotions to? Around two, she guessed; Aaron and Tyler, Tyler because he was her twin and Aaron because he was her best friend.

This stranger didn't even have to work to get her to show her emotions. She just sort of spilled it on him. What made him so different?

Maybe it was his looks.

But she had the feeling it was more of the way he acted. The whole mysterious thing he had going on made her want to tell him everything and hope to hear everything in return. He was one of those people that she knew she could trust but didn't know if she was going to get trust in return.

"Are you done yet?" A voice whined from her left. Robby turned, her eyes landed on her twin brother. Two coffee cups were held in his hands and he was looking down at her with a frown.

"I was heading out anyway." Erich said slowly from in front of her. She turned back to him, her face falling at the mention of him leaving. He had told her this was his last day in Ipswich. He was going back tomorrow.

"It was really nice meeting you," Erich said, his dark eyes burning into her. Robby nodded sadly.

"You too," was all she could say as she watched him get up and head towards the door. He walked out after taking a look back at her and she watched as he headed towards a Harley in the parking lot.

**Author's Note: Right, then. Here we are. Another chapter uploaded. So I've added a character named Erich. You guys should probably remember him. He's really important and he'll be showing up again sometime soon. He's a HUGE part of the plot. :)**

**In other news, Rosie and I have pretty much finished our Covanant fanfiction award site called Marblehead Awards. There is a link in my profile if you shall kindly go check it out. You guys will like it, I promise. It opens officially on September 1st. THANK YOU GUYS FOR EVERYTHING!**


	11. Chinese

**Edited on December 14, 2010**

Erich slumped to the couch, his head aching with the effort he had been putting into his planning.

He ran a strong hand through his hair, not sure of what other bases there were to cover before he finally put his new plan into motion.

He hadn't counted on that Chase character showing up and he definitely hadn't expected the little ass to have powers. It had been a major glitch in his former plan and as soon as Erich has figured it out he had set to making a new one.

He was going to have to pick this Chase guy off one way or another. They couldn't work together and the younger guy would just get in the way. Erich needed everything to be perfect and he needed it to be perfect soon. He was already starting to wrap little Robby around his finger and he thanked his lucky stars that she was Tyler's twin. Otherwise she wouldn't have ended up with any powers and Erich would have had to take on one of the boys.

Instead he had gotten the easy way out and the easy way out was to seduce the only girl of the group and kidnap her. He had thought about it long and hard and he still wasn't sure if he was just going to take her powers, or hold her at ransom for Pogue's powers.

When he had met her at the café last night, she had had no trouble at all with spilling her guts to him about the whole situation but in all honesty, he really hadn't needed the information to begin with.

He had been watching the Covenant members for six months now and when Robby had come back into the picture, Erich had gone crazy with excitement. More so when he realized the connection she had with one Pogue Parry.

He was still in love with her and she was still in love with him and they could both be used as leverage, as long as this new Chase character didn't interfere with anything.

The trouble now was finding a way to get rid of Chase without causing a big scene.

Erich sure did have his work cut out for him.

"Get to your seats, NOW!" Mr. Sampson bellowed as he pushed his way through the classroom door. His peppered dark brown hair was sticking on end like he had been running his hands through it and his eyes were puffy and red from lack of sleep.

"What's up with the bad mood, Mr. S?" One of the braver students questioned.

"Just get to your assigned seats. Is that so hard to do?" The older man hissed, his arms waving around like a mad man.

Robby cringed, slowly slipping out of the seat she had been occupying. Usually she wouldn't have had a problem with sitting in her assigned seat, but in Honors English 4 her assigned seat just happened to be right next to one Pogue Parry and that was just awkward, not to mention it made her heart hurt.

"Today, Ms. Adams," Mr. Sampson yelled up at her before he turned his back on the class to write something on the blackboard. Robby picked up her speed and with a swift motion leaned over to pick up her bag. She passed Tyler on her way to her seat and he gave her a sympathetic look, one that said he wished he could do something to help her but that there just wasn't anything to do.

She gave him a sad smile back because it was all she could muster.

As if the weekend hadn't been enough to torture her, now she was going to have to put up with sitting right next to him. It made the pain that much worse because she knew she couldn't have him and she knew that he had made that clear, clear as crystal actually.

"Excuse me, Kate," Robby muttered, not looking up from the floor. She didn't even have to look up to know she was sitting there next to her boyfriend playing with his hair. It was what Kate always did. And that hurt, too.

"Whatever," Kate sighed out, as if disinterested. "See you later, baby," she shot over her shoulder as she headed towards her own assigned seat down by Sarah Wenham. Robby slumped into her chair, her butt right on the edge the furthest from Pogue.

"Hey, Robby," a deep voice said from her right and she leaned forward to look to the right of Pogue. Caleb was sitting forward in his chair with his head turned towards her with a sad and strained smile on his face. He looked like he was having an inner battle with himself and Robby wondered what it was, but she never got the chance to ask.

"It's that time of the year again, ladies and gentleman," Mr. Sampson announced, his notes on the blackboard finally finished as he turned to look around the room at his students.

"Romeo and Juliet," he announced after a few minutes of silence. His voice echoed around the room and was followed by several groans and yells of protest. They had covered the subject every year since they had started high school and all of them were tired of it.

Every teacher they had had said that each year they would be getting more in-depth with the subject but it never happened.

It was always the same stuff over and over again. It was a waste of time and Robby was sure all the kids in the room agreed with her.

"What is love?" Mr. Sampson went on to ask. Robby let herself slide fully into her chair and her back hit the back of the chair with a little thud. Her muscles got tense and she started to realize full force just who she was sitting next to and she could feel a few pitying stares. It was almost too much.

But as she sat there and thought about everything that had happened, how sad she had been and how torn apart and how broke she still was, her anger took over.

"Love's a feeling." Someone blurted out and Mr. Sampson gave a noticeable scoff.

"What kind of feeling?" He asked, sounding exasperated.

"Why don't you look it up in the dictionary, Mr. S?" Robby called out, her voice bordering on harsh. Most of the people in the room turned to look at her but she didn't back down. She was too angry. "I'm sure you can find it in there, but I don't believe in it."

"Someone's bitter," Kate called out from her spot next to Sarah.

The whole room seemed to stop and head into slow motion. Robby's heart slowed with her growing white hot anger as come-backs and insults started to rampage her mind; none of them slipping past her lips.

She spent the next few moments trying to tell herself that she was better than Kate and that she wasn't going to lower herself to Kate's level, but it was easier thought then done.

She could feel Caleb's apologetic look from beside her and her twins' white hot rage frighteningly familiar to her own. She could tell Reid was amused for what he thought was going to be a girl fight.

But most of all she could feel Pogue's silence; his indifference and his coldness towards the whole situation.

She cursed herself and him. Finally, she realized how she had never really been able to read him before. She could read all the rest of the Sons like an open book, but him? He was different.

Time came back in full force again and the room broke out in low whispers. Robby could feel the new rumors being spread and the old ones coming back to life. The case of Robby and Pogue no longer closed and put in the cold case files. Now it was back to front page story...

"Settle down," Mr. Sampson bellowed before he pressed his mouth into a tight line.

Robby fumed as she shoved her literature book back into her already crowded bag. Her heart was still beating the slow rhythm of anger and she wondered if her eyes could get stuck if she had them narrowed too long.

It wasn't helping that she could still hear Kate's annoying laugh as she stood with Sarah as they both waited for Pogue and Caleb.

And they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon because the four 'Sons' were currently having a discussion in the back of the room, excluding her of course.

She hadn't been invited.

She gave an eye roll and finally stood from her seat, her shoulder already aching from the weight in her bag.

"Let's go!" She called up the four boys with a clipped tone. They were all huddled around each other like a football team and talking in harsh whispers. Robby could tell they were fighting about something but what that something was only God and the four of them knew.

"We're coming!" Reid called as he sauntered down the stairs towards her. She raised an eyebrow and turned to ignore him. But after a few seconds she was sandwiched in between her twin and his best friend and all three of them were headed towards the door.

She almost felt like they were her bodyguards and after giving them both a look when they were outside the room, she turned to see Caleb, Sarah, Kate and Pogue all walking together in a line, the two boys in the middle.

She gave a scoff before she turned back around and let her eyes get glued to the pavement. Kate's voice was still running over and over in her head and she felt she was going to explode at any second.

Robby turned to her twin on her right with a glare, "What?" She snapped, referring to the rather rough nudge he had just sent to her ribs.

"Isn't that the guy from last night?" Tyler asked as he outstretched a hand to point in the direction of the parking lot. Robby perked up a bit and stopped in her tracks.

Her eyes wondered over the parking lot slowly so she wouldn't miss him and then, sure enough, there he was.

She let her eyes fall back down to the pavement, not able to stop herself from the once over she was about to give him.

His feet were crossed at the ankles with heavy looking boots and his jeans were light wash and hugging to his muscles (which he had a lot of). As she traveled even further up, trying hard to ignore that oh-so-important part of a guy's anatomy, she noticed he was wearing a white muscle shirt with a black leather jacket over it. His arms, like his feet, were crossed and he was leaning back on what looked like a very expensive Harley.

With a sudden burst of excitement Robby shoved her bag at the closest person possible, which happened to be Reid, and took off at a run toward Erich, her heart beating hard in her chest.

"Who's that?" Caleb asked as he watched Robby take off towards a guy he didn't recognize.

"Some guy Robby met at the new cafe last night. His name's Erich or something like that. Lives in Boston and plays on a soccer team. He was supposed to be leaving today."

"She just met him yesterday and your letting her hug him like that?" Pogue snapped, his mouth set in a sneer.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Tyler cried out incredulously.

"Jealous, Pogue?" Reid asked with a smirk as he slung his arm over his "brother's" shoulder; completely forgetting the angry Kate hanging off his other arm.

"Hardly," Pogue answered as he shoved Reid away.

"You should be." Tyler put in, his tone angry and harsh as he pointed back to Robby.

Robby nearly tripped as she ran towards Erich. She was smiling like some sort of idiot and she honestly had no idea why she was actually running towards a guy she had only known a day. She could have lied and said they had talked a lot in just one day and that she knew a lot about him, but really she just felt a connection.

It was corny, really. She had always heard those other girls talking about it. Sparks and what not and she had always thought they were crazy until she had felt it with Pogue. Now she felt like Erich had potential to make her feel sparks. And that was something because she hadn't felt that way in so long.

She flew into his arms with a gleeful laugh and an even wider smile at the grin he was sending her. His arms wrapped around her middle and he picked her up and squeezed.

She let out a mock coughing noise as she hooked her chin behind his shoulder.

"I thought you were leaving today?" she asked as she ran her hands up and down his back.

"Nah. My soccer game got canceled at the last minute so I decided to stick around."

"So you decided to come see me?" Robby asked as she gave him another tight squeeze.

"Obviously," he put in dryly, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm glad you did," she whispered in his ear.

What am I getting myself into, she thought as he finally lowered her to the ground, her body still close to his. She could feel the cotton of his shirt under her fingers and she balled it in her hands.

She was putting herself out in the open. She was vulnerable but she couldn't help it. In some ways she felt like she wanted to take a chance for once but at the same time she didn't know if her heart could handle getting broken again.

Surely that would be what Erich would do, too. He lived in Boston after all and went to college. He would be leaving in a few days and she would be left heartbroken and crying for all the things that could have been.

It's going to happen, she thought solemnly. Her dark eyes roamed up to great his and it was almost like he knew what she was thinking but could offer no comfort. She wondered if he did know what she was thinking and if he thought it was true or not.

There was no doubt that he did and yet he was still throwing himself out there, too. But that meant she was probably the only one that was going to get hurt in this. Was he one of those 'love them and leave them' guys? It wasn't like she could tell or anything. He was too much a mystery for that and she had only known him one day anyway. She growled mentally and tried to make all of her bad thoughts go away. He was a great guy from what she could tell and she wanted to throw herself out there. She wanted to take a chance and she wanted to try and let go and have fun. Maybe she wouldn't get heartbroken and it would just turn into one of those short fun relationships that left you knowing what was great in the world.

"I was thinking we could get Chinese or something. You like Chinese don't you?" Erich asked, his hand trailing up and down Robby's arm as he looked at her questioningly.

"Yeah!" Robby said excitedly, her own hand flattening against his chest. "I love Chinese."

"Great. Let's get out of here then. This place is reminding me of my own high school days," he joked as he grabbed her hand and started to turn towards his bike.

"Hey, where you going?" A familiar voice called out. Robby turned around with a wide happy grin directed at her twin and pulled Erich in the opposite direction of his bike.

"Erich and me are going to get Chinese." Robby announced to the whole group as she bounced on her toes. She still held Erich's hand in hers and she tightened her grip when she saw Kate checking him out from the corner of her eye.

There was no way Kate was going to get both the guys Robby liked.

"Well, introduce your friend to your brothers before you go," Reid cut in with a wide smirk. His eyes were flicking between Robby and Pogue and Robby could feel the tension building in the air.

"Guys, this is Erich Osburne," Robby said as she yanked Erich closer.

"We'll start with Sarah Wenham. Erich this is Sarah." Robby started, her hand gesturing towards Sarah who stood in front of her with a wide smile. "She's kind of new here and I don't know much about her but she seems pretty cool so far." Robby gave a small grin and watched as Erich stuck out his hand and told Sarah it was nice to meet her.

"This is Kate Tunney," Robby went on, her tone suddenly dry as she stopped in front of the other girl.

"This is Kate?" Erich asked with raised eyebrows, his eyes flicking between Kate and Robby.

Kate opened her mouth to retort and probably ask what all Robby had said about her but Robby beat her to it.

"This is Reid Garwin," she stepped to her left again, still pulling Erich with her. She gave Reid a 'be nice' type of look before she stepped out of the way so Erich could shake hands with Reid.

"Pleasure," Erich said as he stuck out his hand. Reid held off for a few seconds, his eyes boring holes into this new guy Erich.

"Same...for now." Reid said a few minutes later, grabbing Erich's hand in a firm handshake.

"And this is Caleb Danvers," Robby went on, happily bouncing on her toes again.

"Good to meet you," Caleb said as he stuck out his hand. Erich took it with a grateful look and returned the pleasantries.

"And this is Pogue-" Robby started, her face in a sudden frown.

"Parry, I know. And don't worry, she's in bigger, better, stronger...more capable hands."

Erich said as grabbed hold of Pogue's hand and squeezed. His tone was mocking and his gaze told Pogue he was by no means being nice, friendly, or playful in anyway. This Erich guy meant what he said.


	12. Hotness!

**Edited on December 14, 2010**

**Author's Note: I rushed to get this out by tonight you guys so there's probably some mistakes in here and I'm sorry. But I really wanted this chapter out there. :) But umm, hope you like.**

**BE FORWARNED, THERE IS A GRAPHIC MAKEOUT SCENE AHEAD!**

"So what's your favorite color?" Robby asked before she popped a piece of sushi in her mouth. She made a small sound of appreciation before slowly leveling her stare at Erich.

Despite an eventful ride on his motorcycle where they had almost run out of gas, the night had been going pretty good. She was now aware of a small Chinese buffet she hadn't even seen in Ipswich before, which was a lot considering she had lived there most of her life and Erich was just visiting. The fact almost made her feel ashamed but it was funny at the same time.

Erich had joked with her about how unobservant she was and she had laughed, but the truth was that she couldn't really disagree. Between the heartbreak with Pogue, the darklings scaring her out of her mind, and the mystery of someone using, she hadn't had much time to be observant or even try to relax. Sure she had spent a few days since she had been back at Nicky's, but most of those days had ended badly, especially the ones when she was there with Pogue.

And then when she had stopped worrying about all of that stuff she had practically thrown herself into her school work to keep her mind off of Pogue. Who could have blamed her though? She had done what any normal teenage girl would have done.

"Pink," Erich told her without missing a beat. He was looking down at his plate and pushing his food around with his fork and Robby couldn't tell if he was joking or not. She let her mouth hang open anyway and raised an eyebrow when he finally looked up.

"Pink?" she repeated.

"No, it's not. I'm joking," Erich said, still strait faced. A weird silence took over for a few minutes until finally Robby burst into laughter. The fact that Erich had been able to keep a straight face for so long was giving her some sort of weird amusement and watching her laugh was making him amused.

But as quickly as it had come Erich's amusement disappeared and his usual mysteriousness came back. To say he was trying not to enjoy himself would have been wrong, because he didn't have to try. Sure the girl in front of him was nice and smart but it was strictly business. Erich never mixed business with pleasure.

He wasn't stupid enough to.

Not like Chase anyway. His mistake had been when he mixed the pleasure of getting revenge with the business of getting Caleb's powers. This Collins guy was heading downhill and he didn't even know it yet. The kid thought he had everything planned out and that everything was under control and that his plan was going to work without flaw, but he hadn't done enough research. Otherwise he would have realized Erich was in the area.

Then again, the thought was sort of hypocritical. Erich hadn't realized or planned on Chase and he hadn't spotted him until Nicky's either. Neither of them was a step ahead of the other but Erich was planning on pulling ahead soon. He was, unlike Chase, aware that he wasn't the only one after the Covenant, where as Chase still had no idea who Erich was.

Not to mention Erich was going after the weakest instead of the strongest. That was also going to give him a leg up in the end.

And yet, his plans still seemed to be crumpling.

Erich hadn't actually planned the little falling out between Pogue and Robby. And what made matters worse was that it was more than just a little falling out. Pogue had broken Robby's heart.

The whole situation added another task to Erich's list before he could set his master plan into motion. He had to somehow piece Robby's heart back together and then get Pogue to finally admit that he was still in love with her. So far the task seemed near impossible. But meeting the younger boy earlier had raised his hopes.

"Its green," he finally managed to say. He had left enough time to pretend like his amusement had passed but he wondered if he had pulled it off with the look she was giving him.

"Me too," she admitted quietly, as if the idea they both had the same favorite color was outrageous.

Which was outrageous because Erich had lied.

"So tell me about yourself. What's your story?" Erich cut Robby off before she could say anything else.

She raised an eyebrow at him, now almost fully convinced that he was steering the conversation away from himself and that was never good when you were talking to a guy.

_You're being paranoid_, she told herself with a mental shake.

She heaved a heavy sigh and let her eyes narrow at him. She couldn't decide if he was just asking her to steer the conversation somewhere else or if he really did want to know.

The look in his eyes and his straight face didn't give anything away and without another sigh she set in on telling him her story.

She told him about growing up with her parents (excluding the part about the power of course) and she told him how they divorced. She explained how she ended up heading to California with her father instead of staying in Ipswich with her mother and brother. She mentioned the fact that her father was an alcoholic and how she had spent a lot of her days taking care of him.

She even ended up telling him about how used she felt.

But the one thing she didn't expect to tell him was about her and Pogue, but before she had even thought twice she had ended up telling him the whole thing. She even went into more detail about that night at Nicky's.

The whole time Erich just sat there listening with this intent look on his face like what she was telling him was important. It made her feel like she wasn't just some stupid teenage girl with a broken heart. He made her feel like she wasn't crazy for being upset with Pogue.

And the thing that amazed her most was that he didn't interrupt unless he had a question about something she was telling him.

"You're too good to be true," Robby told him quietly about an hour later.

"What do you mean?" Erich asked as he folded his hands over the table.

"Well, you're unlike any guy I've ever met before. And you actually listen to me. It's like you're not selfish at all and you make me feel like I'm important. The only guy that ever did that was..." she trailed and let her eyes drift from his.

She hadn't meant to bring up her ex. She knew it was one of the cardinal rules in dating that you never brought up your previous boyfriend/girlfriend.

"I'm not as good as you think," Erich told her quietly. His dark eyes were smoldering and made Robby squirm a bit under his stare but she couldn't look away.

There was something burning in his eyes. Lust or passion. Or maybe even both.

But it sent shivers down her spine.

"How 'bout we get out of here?" He asked huskily. Robby nodded and slowly rose from her chair, watching as Erich threw some bills on the table. She was about to turn away and make her way to the door when she felt Erich's hand slip into hers. She turned back to look at him and realized that whatever was burning in his eyes was even stronger than a few minutes ago.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked as they walked hand and hand to the door.

"How about back to the dorms?" Robby asked him with a small smile as he pushed the door open. "You can see how Spencer's finest live," she added.

"Spencer's finest? I would hardly call you Spencer's finest," Erich joked as he handed her his helmet.

"I cannot believe you just said that," she cried.

"So this is it." Robby told Erich around ten minutes later. She had just unlocked the door to her dorm room and Erich was standing in the middle of the doorway. The room was still dark and neither of them made a move to turn the light on; both for different reasons.

"Where's your roommate?"

His voice was husky again and even lower than it had been before and it sent even more shivers down her spine.

_Calm down_, she scolded herself. _You're acting like a little girl or something_.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out with a nice whoosh before she turned around to look at him.

"I don't have one," she could barely see him in the dark and she was glad. She couldn't make her hand stop shaking even when they were clenched at her sides.

It had been so long since she had been intimate with anyone of the opposite sex and it seemed like her feelings for Erich were coming on really fast and really strong, but at the same time she didn't want to stop herself. She wanted to take advantage of the opportunity while she still had it. There was no telling when Erich was going to be going back to Boston.

She knew she could always go visit him or vice-versa but that wasn't the problem. The problem was losing the spark. She was scared that if she let him go right now, the next time she saw him the spark wouldn't be there anymore.

"Why not?" He asked.

He was still standing in the doorway and she realized she was getting more and more uncomfortable.

_I wonder if he's doing this on purpose_, she asked herself as she took a step closer to the doorway. She was intent on getting the door closed whether he was in the room or not. She didn't need all of Spencer's last minute students looking in her room and viewing personal conversations with this hot guy she wanted to be just hers.

"I don't know. I moved in and I guess she got suspended right before I did," she explained.

In a flurry of movement Erich had pushed the door closed and in a few split seconds fear and lust spread through her veins. She wasn't sure whether she should be running to the other side of the room or running closer to him. She was too confused about the whole thing.

She didn't get to choose because a few more seconds later Erich had swung her around by her arms and pressed her tight against the door. His hard muscles pressed into every inch of her and the heat of him alone was enough to make her eyes roll back into her head.

She found herself pushing against him subconsciously and tilting her head back to try and capture his lips but every time she would lunge forward he would lunge back with smirk.

A soft whimper escaped her when his mouth came crashing down on her neck instead. He bit at the tender flesh there only to sooth the pain with his hot tongue. She tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him down towards her while she rose up more on her tippy-toes, trying to get all the contact with him she could.

He slowly trailed kisses up her neck until he got to the bottom of her ear and then he started to kiss down her chin. She lunged at him to catch him in a kiss and this time he didn't back away.

Fire spread through her as she finally got the contact she had been craving and she let out a low moan when his tongue plunged into her mouth to greet hers. He pulled back a little bit and nibbled on her bottom lip as she pulled on his hair a bit roughly.

His hands slowly made their way down to her hips until he pulled her up to straddle him and she wrapped her legs around his back so he could shove her back against the door. She hit it with a hard slam and her head snapped back but he had captured her lips again before she could make any sound of pain. His hands continued to roam and soon her hands joined in the search. She could feel his hot muscles underneath her hands and when she couldn't take it anymore she unwound herself from his waist.

She pushed him back until he was far enough away from her that she could admire him and then she set about pulling his jacket from his shoulders. When it was fully shed, she threw it across the room and set to work on his shirt.

When it was gone, she let her lips trail across his shoulders, biting down every once in a while as he let out a sultry chuckle from above her. She made her way down and down until she reached his defined abs and she set to work kissing every small piece of muscle she could find.

"Like what you see?" He asked her as he cupped her chin in his hands and brought her lips back to his.

"Yes," she whispered as he pulled her towards the bed. She straddled him and tilted her head back as he started to bit at her collar bone again, letting her feel a few seconds of pain before he sucked it away with a skilled mouth.

His hands grabbed at her tie and she let him yank it off and throw it across the room. He set to work on her buttons next and soon her shirt joined her tie on the floor. A cold hand came up to cup one of her breasts and she shivered under his touch. He kissed up and down her exposed skin but avoided taking her bra off and she whimpered in his ear, trying as best she could to show her need.

His fingernails dug into her hips and ground her hot center again him and she let out a loud husky moan that seemed to bounce off the walls.

The want was overwhelming everything else, even common sense, and she didn't think she would be getting any of her other senses back anytime soon, especially her brain.

Just as he was about to go for the clasp of her bra a knock sounded from the door. It was loud and harsh and sounded urgent but Robby made no hurried move to get it.

Instead, she let her head sag against Erich's shoulder in defeat. The heat and want she was feeling was almost too much to handle and she tried as best she could to contain it as she untangled herself from his lap. She swayed on her feet for a few seconds and Erich stuck out a hand to steady her before she slowly made her way to her shirt. She shrugged it on and started buttoning her buttons while she made her way to the door, expecting to see Aaron or Kyra or maybe even Sarah on the other side.

She really could have cared less who was on the other side of the door as long as she could get them to go away and soon.

When she had the last button finished she swung open the door, her eyes having to adjust to the newly showing moonlight from the hall.

She blinked a few times as she adjusted and when she finally did her mouth flew open.

In front of her stood a soaking wet Pogue and he looked, literally, like a drowned rat. But that didn't matter.

What did matter was the fact that he was in front of her dorm room looking at her with a stare that was definitely not filled with coldness. But…was that jealousy?

"Yeah?" She asked, her voice cracking with the just experienced feelings.

"Who is it?" Erich asked as he stepped up behind her. He was still shirtless and a silver necklace Robby had failed to see was hanging in the middle of his chest. She shivered with want again but tried to shake herself out of it.

"Am I interrupting something?" Pogue asked with raised eyebrows. The look that was in his eyes had just increased considerably and Robby couldn't help but feel a little triumphant.

And a little guilty.

_Don't_, she scolded herself . _He's the one that should be feeling guilty_.

"Yes!" Robby tried to snap at coldly as she could but at the same time she had said yes, Erich had said no, which had defeated the whole purpose.

"I should be going anyway," Erich said as he leaned against the doorway. "I might be leaving in the morning," he told her. (A complete lie mind you.)

"Well are you going to stop by before you leave?" Robby asked, trying her hardest not to sound hurt by the new information. She had almost had sex with him for God's sake and now he was just now announcing he might be leaving in the morning?

"I don't know," he said as he pulled his shirt on. A few second later he was situated with his leather jacket and shirt straightened, but before he left he grabbed onto Robby's hand.

Cold metal pressed into her palm and she held onto it for all she was worth. She opened her mouth to ask him if she would see him again but when she looked up he was already heading down the hallway.

After a few minutes of staring after him she finally turned to Pogue. She couldn't help but feel a bit bitter towards him for interrupting the moment.

"What?" She asked him as she looked down at the St. Mary necklace in her hand. She looked up again as she swung the necklace around her own neck and then clasped it.

"Caleb wants to see us," Pogue told her with a gruff voice. But he wasn't done yet….

Erich smirked as he made his way down the stairs of one Spencer's dorms. So far he had Robby Simms in the palm of his hand and she was eating everything up he was offering her.

A few more heated make-out sessions (maybe some sex) and a few more interruptions by the one and only Pogue and he would be right on track.

He just hoped everything went smoothly from here on out.


	13. Daddy?

**Edited December 14, 2010**

**This was so long that I had to split it into two chapters. I don't know when the next part will be up. I'm kind of in the middle of moving right now so it's really hard for me to get this stuff done. I hope you guys can forgive me and I hope you like this. :)**

"We were just talking," Robby snapped as she moved into her room to change.

"Just talking?" Pogue cried as he waved his arms around. "He had your shirt off!"

"And how would you know?" Robby raised an eyebrow and her dark eyes narrowed. If he was going to say what she thought he was...

"I saw it..." He trailed off and the most pitiful look crossed over his face. "I mean-"

"You _mean_," Robby cut him off, "that you pulled a Superman and did the whole x-ray vision thing." Robby let out a growl and lunged for Pogue, her white hot anger taking over. She couldn't believe that he would do something so stupid and...and...

"AHHH!" She yelled as she swung a right hook at him. It connected with his bicep and Robby knew it had done more damage to her fist then his muscles.

"What the hell were you thinking anyway?" Pogue snapped as he hooked his arms under her armpits and pulled her back again his chest. "You've only known him for a few days," he added when she had stopped struggling.

"Despite popular belief I_ can_ have feelings for more than one guy. I'm trying to forget you if you haven't noticed. I still love you and seeing you with Kate kills me. I'm just trying to live."

Pogue let her go slowly and then hastily tried to cover up his shaky hands. Even his voice was shaking when he uttered a simple "alright". It took all the energy and strength he had not to gather her in his arms and kiss the hell out of her. But it wasn't right. Not when he still had feelings for Kate. It wasn't fair to either of them if he led them both on and he had been with Kate now for a couple of years. It was only fair to Kate if he stay with her. Or that's what he was trying to convince himself. He had honestly been trying not to think of Robby. When that Erich guy had showed up, the jealousy that had taken over was surprising and strong. He had left earlier almost exactly after Erich and Robby had. He couldn't take it and Tyler's anger and Reid's jokes weren't helping him. And by the time he had come back he could sense they were, too. He had come up with the Caleb excuse in a matter of seconds and then he was off.

It wasn't a complete lie, of course. Caleb really did want to meet up with him to go see Chase's records. He just hadn't asked Pogue to bring Robby along. He figured, though, that the older boy wouldn't mind.

It was for a good cause after all...

Robby slowly turned around and she couldn't help the look she was sending Pogue's way. She was guessing it was somewhere between 'you're crazy' and 'I really don't want to hear it'. She couldn't decide right now if she wanted to break down and cry or if she wanted to push him off and go on a rampage and break things. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Pogue right now. Tonight had been the first night she had actually had fun and had contact with a guy other then Pogue. She had been in a happy mood.

Leave it to Pogue to put her in a bad mood. He always seemed really good at it.

Slowly, she let herself calm down. She wondered why she was giving up so easily since she never had before. She felt...like she was losing her will to fight. It was obvious to her now. Why fight for Pogue when she had a great guy like Erich right there?

_Because you don't know if you'll ever see Erich again_, she snapped at herself. With a slow shake of her head she moved towards her closet. She wasn't going to pay Pogue any more attention then she had to. She just wanted to get out of his presence and be by herself, but she wasn't going to ditch Caleb and whatever was so important to him to drag her out of a date. It had to do with all the weird stuff going on, she knew that much, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it just as much as Caleb did.

Of course, Caleb was the one that was in the most danger. His Ascension was getting close and he didn't need to deal with any potential threats. He needed to focus on what he was going to do after he was Ascended. He also needed to figure out how he was going to stop the addiction from taking over. Robby didn't think anyone had been as serious about stopping addiction as Caleb was. And she didn't blame him. She didn't want to end up like her father and no one knew that better then Caleb. They both were subjected to watching their father's fade away. The only difference between them was that Caleb was helping with his dying father. Robby had left hers behind.

The thought sent a pang through her heart and she paused in shuffling through her clothes. She wondered what he was doing and whether or not he was still alive. She hadn't heard anything about him and he hadn't called. It hurt to think about how she had left him. She kept telling herself it wasn't her fault that he was dying, but it didn't always work. A part of her still thought she could have done something to stop it.

Now he was dying or dead and he had had no one to say goodbye to.

"Wear something warm," Pogue's voice said from behind her and she slowly turned around to see him. His leather clad arms were crossed over his chest and he was leaning on the doorway to her closet. She slowly wiped away tears she hadn't realized were there before nodding her head. She turned back around again. Her heart was aching and screaming at her to run to him, to hug the shit out of him. She needed him no matter how much she wished she didn't. But she couldn't have him...

"What are you thinking about?" His voice was lower now and Robby knew that he had seen her tears. Now he wanted a reason.

"My dad," she told him in a whisper as she pulled a long sleeved black shirt from a hanger. She pulled a pair of dark wash jeans off a hanger right beside her other hand. She turned and moved towards the door, her body stopping only an inch or so from Pogue.

"I was wondering if he's dead or not," she told him honestly. Her bottom lip trembled as she looked up into his mysterious hazel eyes and she bit it to try and make it stop. "I still can't help but think it's my fault," she went on. She went to shove past him before he could see more of her tears but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't," he told her softly. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and slowly turned her around to face him again. "Don't go blaming yourself for stuff you had nothing to do with."

Robby nodded, the only thing she could think of to get herself away from him. If she staid so close to him for much longer she was likely to throw herself at him and start bawling. And she really didn't need that.

"Let's go," she told him a few minutes later. She was fully dressed again in a lot warmer clothes. She walked on Pogue's heals out the door, fully intent on finding out what the hell was doing on lately.

She was going to get to the bottom of this.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Robby grumbled as she paused in front of the gate. The huge foreboding piece of iron was standing between Robby, Pogue, Caleb and the Admissions Office.

Robby was trying to figure out how in the world she was going to get over. She was already tired enough at it was and it wasn't like she had big bulking muscles like the two boys beside her. The trek to the Admissions Office had been long enough. Not to mention the fact that they had trudged through the rain. They had met Caleb half way there and after a few weird looks between Caleb and Pogue they were heading off towards their destination. Caleb had to take the time out to explain to Robby what she was supposed to do. She had agreed with a sigh and they had continued on their journey.

By the time they got to the gate she was soaking wet and shivering. Pogue and Caleb seemed to be doing fine though and she cursed them for actually being smart and wearing stuff that would reflect the water instead of soaking it all in.

"How am I supposed to get over?" Robby asked suddenly. She was tired of thinking and for once she was actually going to let herself whine and blame everyone else for her problems.

Or at least she was, until Pogue grabbed her around the waist and started hauling her towards the top of the gate. When she finally got enough leverage she pulled herself over and onto the other side. She had to catch herself before she slipped on some mud but when she straightened she gave the two boys a triumphant smile.

A few seconds later they landed next to her and the three set off again. Caleb and Pogue were talking in hushed whispers and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't hear them over the sound of her own clattering teeth.

"Stay here," Caleb said as he turned around and pointed a finger at her. "Don't move and let us know if anyone's coming." He turned back around again and when Robby was sure he wasn't looking, she stuck her tongue out at him and widened her eyes.

"I saw that," Caleb snapped before he Used to get the door open.

"Whatever," was the only reply Robby could come up with before the door slammed closed again with Pogue and Caleb on the other side. With yet another sigh Robby leaned against the building and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was freezing cold and worried and the two weren't a good combination.

The idea of Chase being the decedent of the fifth family was absolutely mind blowing and Robby still couldn't rap her head around it. The other part that worried her so much was that Caleb actually thought Chase was trying to harm them, which made sense when she thought about it. There had been all those darklings and the weird incident in the bathroom, but something just didn't sit right. Robby just couldn't convince herself that Chase had _that _much power. Sure he could have gotten powers from a father or grandfather but what did that matter? That wasn't all that much. Robby had that much and she still couldn't do half of the things she had seen. Especially the incident in the woods. It just didn't add up at all. She couldn't possibly tell Caleb though because it wasn't like he was going to believe her. They all still looked at her like that naive girl she had been a long time ago. They didn't think she was smart enough to figure all of it out on her own and it would be her word against Caleb if she did say anything.

They didn't know about everything she had seen though, or everything that she had been through. They didn't know that she knew more than they would have liked her to know. She hadn't originally known about the aging affects until her father started to get so old looking. That's when she had found out about it. It had taken her a while to realize that the boys hadn't told her because they didn't want to worry her. But it didn't matter to her back then. The fact that they had with held information from her was enough to make her heart break. They were supposed to be her best friends.

"What are you doing here, miss? You know you're not supposed to be in here," a loud voice yelled. Robby started and her head shot up. With a quick turn of her head she realized a security guard was coming towards her as fast as his fat body could carry him. Before he got any closer she opened up her link to the boys and let both of them know about the approaching threat. Hopefully they could hurry and get what they had come to see...

"I got lost and I was trying to find a phone," the lie flowed from her mouth like honey and she found it had a sweet taste, too. She had gotten so used to lying in Cali that it was a breeze to do. "I''m new here, you see. And I can't find my dorm room." she went on. As soon as she got closer she let her mouth drop into a frown and started to shiver even more then she already was.

"Well, you're not going to find your dorm room at the Admissions Office." The security guard told her as he pointed a fat finger towards a sign behind her. Robby had the urge to roll her eyes but slowly pushed it away. All she could do was nod at the man in front of her and it took her a few minutes to calm down before she could talk again.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see that there," she told him. Her voice was slowly taking on a higher pitch and she knew her little act was starting to work. The suspicious look in his eyes was slowly starting to dwindle and she almost wanted to pump her fist in the air.

"Well, alright," he finally grumbled. A small smile formed on her lips but the old man didn't seem to notice. "Just follow me and I'll get you to a phone."

"**You guys so owe me big for this**," Robby sent through her link. The only thing she got in a reply was a few deep chuckles and "we'll meet you in the parking lot".

So fifteen minutes later Robby was trudging all the way across campus again, trying to make her way back to the parking lot before Pogue and Caleb got the bright idea to leave her. She wouldn't have been surprised if they had. _But_, she reasoned with herself, _this is different_. Everyone needed to know what they had found out about Chase and if one of them wasn't there then Caleb wouldn't tell the rest of them.

It almost seemed like common sense.

"You could have walked a little faster." Caleb's deep voice floated to her ears. "This is important."

Robby flipped him the bird without even thinking about it and a few minutes later she was safely in the passenger side of Caleb's car.

"What'd you find out?" She asked as she turned all the vents in her direction to get a little warmth.

"You'll find out soon enough," Caleb said as he started towards the old colony house. His hand was so tight on the wheel that his knuckles were white and Robby thought the wheel was going to break. She knew whatever the pair of boys had found was not good and she didn't dare open her mouth about it.

But the feeling wasn't leaving her and she couldn't stop the tightening of her stomach. It just wasn't right.

She finally opened her mouth half way to the house and started to form words but Caleb shot her the worst glare she had ever seen and she closed her mouth again. She figured that he was trying to stop her from bothering him about what he found out, but something also told her he really just didn't want to hear what anybody had to say.

"Let's go," was the first thing out of Caleb's mouth when they had reached the house. Robby could only manage a nod. She was too afraid that if she opened her mouth again, he would yell at her or at least snap. And she really didn't feel like handling it.

They started to make their way towards the door and Pogue met them half way there, his eyes trailing over Caleb and then Robby. He could feel the tension between them, more from Caleb then Robby. But there was something bothering Robby, really bothering her.

"What's wrong?" He tugged on her sleeve in effort to slow her down, but she shrugged him off without a second glance. The weight of everything else was already pushing down on her and she didn't need to look into Pogue's eyes and break down, because that would have been exactly what happened. She had already convinced herself that she needed to be strong right now but that promise would be out the window if she let Pogue find out what was bothering her. Besides, she didn't have enough guts to tell Caleb herself and if she told Pogue it would almost be like she was giving a burden to him to carry for her and that wasn't right.

The house loomed in front of them like an old haunted building and Robby thought about how it looked like it could fall down at any minute. It was that old though, she reminded herself, and she sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that it didn't. And then she berated herself. With everything that was going on, she was praying she didn't get smashed by a building!

She really was losing her mind.

Caleb's footsteps echoed back to her as he made his way towards the basement. The old wood was creaky and molded and almost falling apart and Robby shrunk back at every single thud that sounded through the old place. She could here movement upstairs and wondered if Gorman was actually still alive. She had never thought he would outlive Caleb's father because of the old man's age but obviously she had been wrong.

Robby took the steps two at a time when she finally came to them, Pogue trailing a ways behind her. When she reached the bottom she found Caleb, Reid, and Tyler in their rightful seats and she couldn't help her pang of jealousy. She wasn't a rightful owner of a stone chair and according to the book she had no business even being there. Even though she shared a seat with Tyler, ever sense she was little she had felt like she never truly belonged.

Tyler greeted her with a soft pat on the shoulder when she moved to take her seat and she sent him a small nod, her cheeks almost flushing at the thought of what he knew about earlier that night. Had Pogue texted him about it or said anything through the link? She hoped not.

By the time Robby had come out of her thoughts again the Book of Damnation was already in the center of the round table spinning in the air and Caleb was rattling on about a fifth family. That alone struck a nerve in Robby's heart and almost made her panic. She held herself in though, remembering her promise.

She could vaguely hear Reid asking if Caleb really thought Chase was a descendant of the fifth family and with Caleb's sigh, she took it as a yes.

"Caleb..." she started and trailed off. She could feel the boys' eyes on her, boring holes into her soul but she wasn't sure how to continue.

"Well?" Reid probed her. He was almost making her feel like a little girl who didn't know what the hell she was talking about and that pissed her off.

"There's something wrong here. I mean, even if Chase is a descendant of the fifth family, I don't think he's capable of all of this. Remember what happened in the woods? Or in the bathroom at Spencer? I'm sure the kid can send darklings and stuff but do you really think he has enough power to turn into mist and into other people? I have Grandpa Simms' powers and my own and I still can't do that." She tried to explain but the blank and almost confused expression Caleb was sending her made her frustrated.

"You think there's someone else out there that has powers?" Tyler asked, breaking Robby from her staring match with Caleb. She wanted to punch her fist in the air with victory but she turned to her twin with a smile instead.

"I knew we had that whole twin wave link thing," she joked, but no one laughed and she was reminded of the seriousness of the situation. "Right. I do think that there is someone else out there with powers. I mean, why not? We're here aren't we? Just because the book says that we're the only ones with power, doesn't mean it's true. No one knows about us except for us and the same would go for any other covenant out there." She gave a firm nod to try and show that she believed what she was saying but it still didn't seem to be making an impact.

She was about to open her mouth again to go into yet another rant but a creaky floor board form upstairs caught her attention.

"Is Gorman coming down?" She asked Caleb, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No," Caleb said with furrowed eyebrows. "Why?"

"Listen," Robby instructed as she pressed her pointer finger to her lips. She looked up towards the ceiling as the sound of the cackling fire seemed to die down all together. She could hear it again. The floor boards were creaking upstairs and whoever it was doing the walking was making their way downstairs. When she was sure at least someone else in the room with her had heard it she turned her eyes to Caleb again with a clear 'what do we do?' look on her face.

"Line up next to the stairs. If it's Chase, we can take him together," Caleb whispered. He was already on his feet and making his way towards the entrance of the basement and the four others followed after them, lining up in a row. Robby knew all of them were trying to look as tough and determined as they could but she wondered how many of them had actually pulled it off.

The footsteps drew closer and closer and everyone seemed to stop breathing at once. Their anticipations and fears building until it was pressing down on them and threatening to suffocate them if it wasn't already.

Whoever it was reached the stairs and was taking slow deliberate steps down them. They were a pair of dress shoes, finely polished and not scuffed and immediately Robby raised an eyebrow. This person could not have been Chase and it could not have been Gorman. It could have been, however, someone else that had power.

As whomever it was a got closer, a pair of tailored suit pants were visible and they only made Robby's eyebrows rise higher. Who was this person?

"Get ready," Caleb whispered, his own voice wavering and giving away his hesitation at the person's identity.

"_Daddy_?" Robby gasped a few minutes later.

The man had finally made his way all the way down the stairs and was now standing in front of the line of five. A perfectly tailored suit hung from a lean tall form of a man in his late forties or perhaps even early forties. Dark hair was slicked back a bit with brown eyes smiling with delight. There was no stubble or five o'clock shadow on his cheeks and his skin was quite smooth and young. He was fit for a man his age it seemed.

"Dad?" Tyler echoed a few seconds later, his voice filled with bewilderment.

It suddenly hit her about the fact that Tyler still had no idea that their father was supposed to be back in California dying of old age when he was only forty-nine. She hadn't told Tyler with everything else going on and she was sure now she was going to have to and he was going to hate her.

"How is this possible?" She found herself asking as she took a step forward.

The last time she had seen him, he was on the verge of looking like Caleb's father. He was barely able to reach out his own hand or make any facial expressions and his skin had been baggy and just hanging on his bones. Now he looked even younger then he had before and his eyes were alight and his mouth was set in a smile.

She hoped the other emotion in his eyes was love but she highly doubted it was. How could he love his daughter who had abandoned him in his time of need? He wouldn't. No one would. That was the point!

"It's possible." He spoke for the first time and his voice was exactly how she remembered it in her dreams when everything was perfect and he was still reading her bedtime stories. It was soft and controlled and unwavering. It held a bit of passion but not so much as to give something away. The mysterious kind of voice that drug you in and made you want the person to go on talking forever and ever.

Robby's fingers connected with chest and she gasped when it didn't pass right through or make him shatter into pieces. He was real. He wasn't a dream or a hallucination. He wasn't a mist or a vapor. He was real and he was standing in front of her alive and well.

"You-you were dying..." she stuttered, trailing off to take a step closer to him and inspect him.

"Not anymore," he said evenly. It was simple and he left it at that even though her eyes begged him to go on.

"What do you mean he was dying?" Tyler asked, his voice holding a bit of anger. He was already upset and he didn't even fully understand the situation. He was going to hate her forever.

"It doesn't matter anymore, son. I'm fine." Her dad said with a dismissive shrug. His laughing brown eyes still hadn't left Robby and her own eyes filled with tears.

"He was dying," she whispered, only hoping Tyler could hear her. "Of old age. He was wrinkling and dying right in front of me and I couldn't take it. I had to leave..." she trailed off as she backed away from him again, unable to take the fact that he was here.

Something had to have happened to make him alive and well and for some reason she had a hunch that it was connected to whatever was going on here in Ipswich and bringing her father back to life was definitely above Chase's powers, way above.

She felt someone grab out for her arm but she shook them off, only barely holding back a sob. It only took her a few seconds to dart around her own father and up the stairs. The tears flooding her vision were too much and they slowly started to trickle down her cheeks one by one.

"I knew you'd be the first one out after your _daddy _left," a low voice whispered in her ear when she had finally gotten outside. She could feel the hot air as it washed over her ear and it made her shiver. She slowly turned, her keys gripped tightly in her hand. When she turned, she couldn't help the scowl that formed. Chase stood before her with a large smirk on his face. It was a wolfish type expression and she wanted to wipe it right off his face.

"The first time I saw you," he went on, "my first thoughts were about how bad your daddy issues were. I didn't even have to ask you or listen to you about any of it. I just knew. You have that scorned little girl look to you-"

"Shut up!" Robby told him. She tried to make her voice as firm as possible but it was almost impossible. She couldn't decide if she was scared shitless or if she was angry beyond comprehension. She was pretty sure she was feeling both though. "Was it you? Did you bring him back?" Her back connected with her car and she realized then that she had been retreating from him.

He was an obvious threat and subconsciously she had moved away from him.

"Nah," Chase answered. His voice had gone yet another octave lower and the look in his eyes was purely insane. "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me what happened with that..." he trailed off as he took step forward. His large boots crunched against the gravel and Robby had the sudden urge to bolt, but she didn't have anywhere to go.

"You gonna run? Like you always do?" He asked, his advancement suddenly stopping so he could cock his head at her in amusement.

She saw the open chance and did exactly that, not even realizing that that was what he had intended for her to do.


	14. Everything

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Covenant members or characters and the song isn't mine either. It's called Take Cover by Acceptance.**

_She's a liar  
It comes to this  
All we had 'til now is gone_

Tears blurred her vision and made it hard to see and barely contained sobs were starting to make her choke and gag. The leather seat beneath her was cold and it seeped through her jeans and made goosebumps on her skin.

Her hand shook as she reached forward to turn up the volume to the radio. No matter how loud she turned it though she couldn't drown out the sound of Chase's voice in her head.

Her old BMW swerved to the right again as she gripped the wheel too tightly. She was locked in an inner battle of anger and fear and neither side was winning. It wasn't until she started hearing the rocks hitting the car that she steered back onto the road with a jerk.

Flashes of her once sick father were playing behind her lids. Someone was messing with them. Someone with enough power was dangling the Simms' father in front of them like bait. Robby had almost taken it.

But there was no way he could have been real. You couldn't bring anyone back from that strong of an addiction.

You could, however, create an allusion of someone. It took a constant amount of power but it made the person solid. The illusion could walk, talk, ad even drive if they wanted to. (Something Robby was going a really horrible job at.) The allusion was, however, basically just a ghost of the person it was made after. Allusions could feel and think and see and come up with ideas all on their own. Which made the thought of her father as an allusion just as painful.

Chase was scary; he really was, but he had openly admitted to not knowing anything about the sudden appearance of Robby and Tyler's dad. Robby also doubted Chase had enough power to create an allusion, even if he had thought of the idea.

So in Robby's mind it was settled. There was someone else out there with power and lots of it. And whoever it was, knew more about them then they knew of each other.

Erich started, his once peaceful sleep unraveling until he was fully aware of his surroundings. His fingers were tingling and his eyes were burning. If he didn't know any better he would have sworn he'd been crying. Even through his lack of sleep he could tell something was tugging at the outermost levels of his mind. It took some effort and a little bit of power before he could slide down his concrete walls protecting his thoughts and feelings.

A wave of pain and fear washed over him and he gasped for breath. Once his walls were back up he let out a few muttered curses. He had forgotten the link he had set up with the necklace hanging around Robby Simms' neck.

_And I'm the other  
Piece to this  
Every time I feel this inside  
I don't wanna be the one who..._

When he had figured out Chase was starting to get a drift of Robby's powers he had performed a spell in the back of one of his old books. He had thanked his lucky stars at the time that he had already given her the necklace.

But that wasn't the important thing at that moment.

What was, was the fact that Robby was scared out of her mind and if he concentrated enough he could see and hear what she was going through. She was driving in the country and it looked like she was swerving all over the place.

So the plan with her had had gone smoothly so far. But that wasn't the only thing bothering her.

Ah. There it was...

Chase had had a few words with her outside the colony house. He had something planned. Erich could feel it in his bones. He had to get a hold of Robby and fast. He sprang towards the hotels bedside table as fast as his tired boy could take him. His cell phone was cold and heavy in his hand and he flipped it open to dial Robby's memorized number.

A ring back tone sprang to life in his ear and he grimaced at the sudden loud tone.

Robby stumbled with her phone. It was vibrating in the front pocket of her jeans and it was hard to get to it while still trying to drive.

"Hello?" she asked hoarsely when the small gadget was finally pressed to her ear. She cleared her throat in attempt to sound normal but it didn't help much.

"Robby?"

_Caught you  
So take cover  
Never saw it comin' so you put me on again_

It took a few seconds for the low husky voice to finally register but when it did, her face screwed up in confusion. How had Erich gotten her number?

"Erich?" How'd you get my number?" Robby asked after clearing her throat again.

"That's not important." he answered, almost sounding annoyed. "Are you okay? It sounds like you've been crying."

"I'm fine." Robby lied as she tried to sound as chipper as possible. Just a little trouble with-"

_Had you and no other  
The game, the lies are getting old_

Robby screamed, her hands automatically jerking the wheel to the right on impulse. The sound of rocks hitting her car filled her ears but her eyes were trained on the person that had been in her headlights just a moment before. Her car started to turn on its side though and she let out another piercing scream. She had imagined the moment she would die would be filled with pleasantries and farewells but she had been wrong. She was sure she was going to die now, right here in a car.

The sound of grinding metal was horrible and she wanted to cover her ears but she couldn't seem to manage it.

Erich opened his link again. He could already hear Robby's scream from the phone, but he NEEDED to see what was going on.

It was hard to tell though and he squinted his own eyes as if he actually was seeing through them. It was dark and the only thing he could see was the glow of the dashboard that was slowly dwindling and Robby's hands that were gripping the steering wheel for dear life. He tried saying her name again but she didn't answer, just kept screaming.

The phone made a beep as he hit the end button and yelled out his frustration. He could tell all the blood was rushing to his face and his eyes were bulging out of their sockets but at that moment it didn't matter if his head exploded. Robby was in trouble and if Robby was in trouble, then he was indirectly in trouble. But then again, was it really this big of a deal?

_She starts feeling on her own  
She makes the city seem like home  
All you had for me is gone_

Yes, he told himself without a second thought. He didn't want to give it a second thought. He was afraid of what he was really feeling and why he was really upset. He wasn't going to think about it. He couldn't. He just needed to make sure that Robby got out of the situation okay so his plans could continue.

And that's what he kept telling himself as he dialed Pogue Parry's number. The thing about having powers was the fact he could do almost anything without getting caught. But getting Pogue Parry's number hadn't even required his powers. Robby was so defenseless that he had had no trouble swiping her phone off of her for a time. With that thought, he felt a sharp pang in his chest. If she was so defenseless with just someone pickpocketing her, what was it like for her now?

This whole thing had to be linked to Chase and Erich wasn't going to be convinced otherwise. It had to have been Chase.

_I give and I give  
But you hope in return  
Never thought I'd be the one to burn_

"Hello?" Pogue's voice was rough, Erich noted. And the younger boy sounded like he was worried and even a little angry. The sound of his voice only peaked Erich's interest and he had almost asked what was wrong, but caught himself just in time.

"Robby needs help." he blurted out. He was pretty sure it probably wasn't the best thing to just blurt out like that, but there probably wasn't any other way to get the guy to listen, especially if he was in one of his moods.

"What? Who is this?" Pogue sounded even more alert now and even angrier, but Erich pressed on.

"It's Erich. Listen, she needs you're help. She's out in the woods and I think she got in a car accident. She's over by that old colony house." Erich cursed under his breath. For once fear was taking over his senses and he knew it wasn't a good thing.

Fear he would be discovered over road all of his other fears though and cursing Robby was the only thing that sounded like a good idea.

"How do you know that?" Pogue demanded, his voice sharp and clipped.

"I was on the phone with her when it happened." Erich half lied. It was the truth to some extent anyway...

He opened his mouth again, thinking Pogue needed more explanation by their was no answer on the other line and when he looked down at his phone he realized Pogue had already hung up.

That either meant he had gone after Robby or he had hung up on him because he was too pissed off.

_Every time I feel this inside  
I don't wanna be the one to  
I don't wanna be the one who..._

The pain in his chest was sharp and that was the only way he could describe the fear he was feeling. Pogue and the rest of the Sons had been waiting for Robby back at the colony house with her father, hoping she would eventually come back and straighten everything out.

Pogue had to admit that while they were waiting, Tyler was more on edge then himself. And he also couldn't help but admit to himself that, in a way, he had betrayed his brother. He had kept one of Robby's deepest, darkest secrets and now that secret was hurting the people they both loved.

But then again, he was partly Robby's father's fault, too. Nathan Simms hadn't exactly called Tyler up to let his only son know that he was dieing, which was usually something a father would do. Instead Nathan had left the job to his daughter, a seventeen year old girl that had been taking care of him for a few years.

But did that mean the blame was even between all of them? Pogue didn't think so. He still felt sick to his stomach when he thought of everything Tyler was going through and how it was partly his fault.

When his phone had rung and Three Days Grace's 'Riot' had cut through the silence in the colony house, he had almost felt a sort of relief and quickly used it as an excuse to get out of the tension filled room.

His shoulders had actually loosened up when he got outside and flipped the small thing open. But they hadn't loosened for long.

What Erich had told him was beyond a nightmare, it was his worst nightmare and when he had hung up, the only thing he could manage was a loud cry of frustration and fear all mixed into one.

He didn't even know if Robby was alive or not and just the thought of loosing her was enough to make tears come to his eyes.

It had taken his brothers and Nathan about a minute to get up the stairs and run outside where they found Pogue actually stalking to his bike with a look of determination.

"What's going on?" Caleb called out, his voice stern and demanding an answer.

"Robby's been in an accident. Erich said she's near the colony house in her car." Pogue called back as he swung a leg over his bike. He didn't bother with his helmet. He wanted all the visability he could get. He really didn't want to take the chance of not seeing her car turned over in a ditch somewhere.

"What do you mean?" Nathan called out, his voice filled with the worry only a father could have.

"I mean what I said. Hurry up!" he yelled back before his bike roared to life. He was off as soon as he got his feet off the ground, speeding in what he hoped was her direction. He could sense SOME using but it felt far off and he knew he might have been going in the wrong direction.

As soon as the signal started to get stronger though, he knew he wasn't and he quickened his speed.

There was no way he was going to let Robby die out in the woods by herself. Not before he told her everything.

_Caught you  
So take cover  
Never saw it comin' so you put me on again  
Had you and no other  
The game, the lies are getting old_


	15. Don't

The tears were cold when they were usually warm and Robby wondered if she was dieing or already dead. Was this hell? Where you relive everything that happened? She hoped not. She hoped it was all just a dream because it seemed like it was anyway. 

She was aching all over just like she had when she had fallen from that cliff. Even her already broken arm hurt. She groaned as she tried to move her legs, which seemed to be smashed somewhere below her. She was upside done and the only thing she could see through the windshield was grass, leaves, bushes...

And a pair of feet clad in boots, which she had just noticed.

This had to be a dream, she decided, because her heart was beating out of her throat at an impossible speed and she couldn't seem to swallow it back down again. She didn't want to think about what was going to happen next. She was too tired and too scared to use and she was sure the pair of legs belonged to one Chase Collins who was probably more powerful then her if only by a little bit.

For a few seconds she thought about just hanging there upside down looking dead. But then sense kicked in and she realized Chase would be able to tell the difference. For all she knew he could have been listening to her heart beat right then and there just to make sure she was alive.

Those thoughts started off even wilder thoughts and she started to panic about the possible situations. Was he going to torture her into giving him her powers? Or was he just going to torture her for the fun of it?

She looked up at the sound of glass being stepped on and gasped when she realized Chase had moved towards the car and bent down. His head was slightly tilted so he could try and get a look at her and he was doing a great job.

He was also doing a great job of scaring the shit out of her.

But there he was, just squatting there staring at her like she was a piece of prey he was about to finally tackle.

"You know," his voice was low and threatening and she flinched just from the sound of it, "I've been trying to figure you out for so long and now that I finally have, I'm going to love watching you finally die!" a smile appeared on his face and she knew he meant what he said. He was going to follow through with killing her because she was a threat. She had figured him out before the rest of them.

But that wasn't the only reason was it? There had to be another.

The sound of metal scraping against metal started all over again and she groaned in pain when she felt her legs being cut and smashed. She didn't have the energy to scream or to flail and she definitely didn't have enough to Use.

She was going to die.

"I'm sorry. Am I hurting you?"

He didn't sound sorry and she wanted to scream every curse word in the book at him but her throat was already raw from her sobs and screaming. A few more seconds of grinding metal and almost unbearable pain and then she was slipping not so gently out of the smashed car. She tried as best she could to fight it, to fight Chase, but it didn't seem like she could pull it off.

Finally it stopped and Robby relaxed a bit. The only thing she could do was think about how she was going to die and she knew it wasn't going to help her fight him.

So with a slow, delibrate breath she started to think happy thoughts. She saw her life while she was growing up. Her and Tyler laughing together as they ran through the woods, their father chasing after them. She saw her mother carry in a big turkey on one of the best Thanksgivings in Robby's whole life.

She saw her friends in California laughing as they watched the waves come in, surf boards by their sides. She saw Pogue smiling down at her with actual love in his eyes instead of just ice.

And then she saw Erich and his smile as his hands ran down her back. She saw his necklace hanging around her own neck and her own fingers running over the cold silver.

She jarred out of her thoughts when she felt the power finally flowing through her. It was going to take everything out of her when she did Use and she wanted to make sure it was at the right moment. She was going to do all she could to save herself or die trying to kill Chase.

A few slow minutes passed and then with a gasp Robby was flung from the car. She was flying backwards, the wind hitting her back and making her hair whip around her face. She let the power flow through her in an act of pure desperation, trying as hard as she could to fight against Chase's power that was pushing her back.

Her back connected with a tree but the force was cushioned. She slid down it, the bark of the tree cutting into her skin and shirt.

Her eyes closed for a few brief seconds and she tried as hard as she could to will the pain away, but it wasn't working.

Every breath hurt, every tiny movement. Her breathing was shallow and she was as stiff as she could be.

"You know, I had been watching the Sons for a while. I was going to find out everything I could about them." when she opened her eyes she was startled to find he was right there in front of her, kneeling down with his face right in front of hers. His eyes had this insane glint in them and she shuddered at the feel of his breath on her skin.

"It was careful planning and then you had to show up. At first I thought you were just a sister, you and Tyler are only faternal after all. And then I realized that day in the court yard, that you were so much more. I could tell you and Pogue had history. So I had to rework all my plans. You see, I was going to use Kate to get to Pogue and then I was going to use Pogue to get to Caleb. But how could that work if Pogue really didn't care for Kate?

"That's when I realized that you coming back would screw all that up. So now, I'm going to take you out of the equation so I can just go on my merry little way of killing your friends." the last part was said so loud that Robby could have sworn her hair moved as if there was a soft wind in the air.

Her eyes were threatening to close on her now and the smallest voice in the back of her head was telling her not to. It was telling her to hold on and that everything would be okay. But it was also telling her to give in, to just let the darkness take over and that it didn't matter what Chase did after that as long as she wasn't concious enough to know about it.

Robby couldn't let that happen. She now, she was the only thing standing between Chase and the rest of the Covenant. She wasn't about to let them down no matter what it meant. She had grown up with these boys. She had loved these boys and one of them was her own twin brother. Who knew what Chase would do to them if he caught the boys unaware and at their weakest point. If something happened to Robby, then at least they would know what Chase's intentions were.

Or at least, that's what she told herself as she finally pushed to her feet. Just the feel of her ribs pressing into her skin was enough to make tears form in her eyes and the pressure she had to put on her legs when she stood up wanted to make her downright sob.

And as she used the tree behind her to help her get to her feet, she realized the cast that was on her already broken arm had cracked in more then one place and she was pretty sure her other one was broken now, too.

"Is this an act of desperation?" Chase mocked her when she was finally on her feet and leaning against the tree for support.

"No." Robby whispered. She was almost tempted to spit in his face but she wasn't sure it was a good idea until she had gathered all the power she possibly could.

"No?" he continued to mock as his hand came up to clutch her chin in a rough grip.

"No..." Robby trailed off again. This time when she felt the power flow through her it was an angry power. It was fueled by her ANGER and not her desperation or her fear. To her, this type of power was the best because she could never run out of anger.

Especially when she had one Mr. Pogue Parry on her mind and how he had treated her since she had been back.

"It's an act," she started, her hands raising from her sides to land on his firm chest, "of anger."

The power soared through her and then out her hands, her own energy pushing Chase backwards until he was soaring through the air.

Ten, twenty, thirty feet before he finally skidded to a halt.

Robby stumbled away from the tree as she tried to get a better look at Chase but in a few mere seconds Chase had managed to get up and make himself disappear. Robby was left turning in every direction, praying to some kind of higher power that she wasn't about to die.

And then she was soaring through the air again just like before and just like before her back connected with the tree behind her. She finally let out a defeated sob as her ribs made an even more sickening crack then they had when she had fallen down the cliff.

She was done, she realized with another sob. There was just no possible way she would be able to beat Chase alone. She was just too weak.

And at that moment, as Chase leaned over her with that wicked smirk on his face, the only thing she wanted to do was tell Tyler that she loved him, to tell Pogue that she loved him. She wanted so bad to let them all know how much they meant to her and how much she loved them. They were the only people she had.

"I'm glad you tried to fight." Chase said, his warm breath hitting her cheek and making her want to shiver. "Really." he added.

The voice was back though and Robby could barely pay any more attention to the evil bastard above. The voice that was so comforting, that was telling her to give in, was the one she listened to.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Pogue's heart seemed to beat in rhythm with the machine next to him and every beat was more painful then the last.

Every second in this room was worse then the last.

He had spent the better half of six hours in Robby's room convincing himself that this wasn't happening and that he was actually under some spell that wanted to rip his heart out.

But after that agonizing three hours ended an even more agonizing three hours showed up. The time just seemed to drag on without any consideration to his aching heart or the hearts of his friends waiting out in the lobby. He had realized it was more logical for Tyler to be in here with her, holding her hand and whispering comforting words and half hopes that she would wake up. But he couldn't make himself leave her side. It was too hard.

After everything, this moment was the hardest. This moment, he had decided, would make him who he was the rest of his life.

Seeing her there, in the middle of no where with Chase leaning over her limp body had been the most horrific thing he had seen. Even more horrific then two years ago when he had found his beloved girlfriend in the arms of his arch enemy Aaron Abbot. His beloved girlfriend being Kate who had actually never been beloved.

He realized that now but it didn't seem to make a difference two years later. The only beloved he had ever had in his life was Robby and now she was lying on a hospital bed in front of him, a machine keeping track of her faint heartbeat.

God he just wanted to take it all back. The pain he had caused her and the hate he had shown her. He wanted to make it all better with one simple kiss. He wanted to hold her in his arms again and not just a lifeless body that he had to cling to.

He shuddered at the thought. Robby's body lifeless in his arms was something he never wanted to expierience again.

Not in a million years.

Not in a billion.

S_he was there, he could feel her. It was faint sort of feeling one that he had to concentrate to feel but she was there._

_He had found her but it wasn't a time to celebrate yet, that's what he had to remind himself as he finally jumped from his bike and ran towards the thick brush in front of him._

_With every step forward he took, he could feel her even more. The think that troubled him the most was the fact that she wasn't feeling anything, which only meant two things._

_She was either dead or uncouncious. He hoped with all he had that it was the latter._

He could still hear Tyler's voice screaming in his ear and the feel of his own tears pricking at his eyes. He could feel Caleb's heavy hand on his shoulders and the weight of Robby in his arms.

But most of all, he could still see Chase's smiling face staring back at all four of them as they stood in front of him.

_"Get away from her." he was seething. His anger was creeping through every small vein in his body and instinct took over. His eyes went black for the first time in what seemed like forever and his arms spread in a stance of defense._

_Chase was there, leaning over a lifeless Robby. The grin that had once been on his face disappeared in minutes and then he was standing tall and proud, like a hunter showing off his prey._

_"Pogue!" a voice called. It was loud and as it rang through the brush he recognized it as Reid's. They were there with him, the other three. He wasn't alone in this..._

_But Robby had been._

_Reid was standing by his side in no time, his once blue eyes now covered in black._

_And then it was Caleb, his face set in stone and looking more angry then the rest of them..._

_Except for Tyler._

_It looked like he had been crying on the way there but when he saw Robby lying at the bottom of the tree his face contorted to pure anger. The pain that showed through even the black was too much for anybody to look at, let alone expeirence. The younger boy's breathes were ragged, almost like he himself was dieing. It was just a few quick strides later that he took his spot next to Reid. The four of them stood together, eyes black as night and minds racing with worry, panic, and anger._

_"This I didn't expect." Chase shot out, his grin had long since returned and his pointer finger was pointing towards the sky like he had just gotten some brilliant idea._

_"I mean, I knew she was important, but this important?" Chase shook his head as if he couldn't believe it._

_"You obviously haven't done your homework." Reid snapped. The blonde boy's have gloved hands were clenching and unclenching and Pogue really wished the other boy would just throw a punch already. Chase deserved it after all..._

_"I guess I'll try harder next time." Chase agreed with a nod of his head._

_"Who says they'll be a next time?" Caleb bit out. Pogue had to nod mentally to agree with his best friend. There was no way that this piece of shit guy was getting out of there alive._

_"On four." Caleb whispered. He didn't have to elaborate. The Covenant knew what the eldest one had in mind and all of them were for it._

_"One." Caleb started, his power building in chest._

_"Two." Pogue continued, long hair moving in the wind._

_"Three." Tyler whispered harshly through clenched teeth._

_"Four!" Reid screamed as all four boys let their power flow through them. The seperate balls of energy each of them had made, molded together to form one big one and soared towards Chase._

_Only a few seconds after that was he flying through the air, even further then before._

_Pogue crumpled to his knees without another word and gathered Robby in his arms. The pain was almost too much but he didn't cry. He had to keep quiet. He had to know that she was still alive and that she was still breathing. She was the only thing that mattered._

_Reid made to follow Chase's body through the air but the sound of Caleb's voice stopped him._

_"Don't. We don't have time to make sure he's dead. We have to get Robby to a hospital._


	16. Fill Me Up

**Author's Notes: This is a filler. I'm sorry for that but I needed one desperately. :S Anyway, I hope it's okay and I know it's short. Let me know guys. The next chapter shouldn't follow too late after this one.**

"It smells like hospital!" Robby pointed out again, her bruised nose scrunching up with a bit of effort.

"Stop changing the subject, Robby. We need to know what he's planning." Tyler snapped back. His tan hands were clenching into fists, Robby's white bed sheet in between them, but she barely noticed.

"I don't know." she repeated.

She had been doing a lot of that lately, repeating herself. But then again, being hounded with the same question over and over again did call for a bit of repetitiveness.

"All he said was that he was going to use Pogue to get to Caleb. But to get to Pogue, he was going to use Kate. He also said that he couldn't do that until I was out of the equation because Pogue still cares about me or something like that." she waved a casted arm in the air like she was flicking the thought away before she settled back down again.

She took another deep breath, hoping her exhaustion was clear. Tyler hadn't noticed it two hours ago but maybe by an off chance he would this time. Robby wasn't dense after all and the two were twins. That small fact had to count for something.

"That doesn't make any sense." Tyler yelled (again)."Why would he need Kate or you, for that matter, when he can go strait to Pogue?"

"Maybe he thought Pogue would be too strong for him unless he had driven Pogue to a state of madness." Robby offered before she stuffed her head into the white pillows with a groan.

"What?" Tyler asked, his pacing stopping so that he could show his confusion clearly.

"Okay." she sighed, her voice muffled by the pillow. "Say Chase did something bad to Kate, Pogue would be so upset that all rationality would go out the window. He would make a stupid decision, go after her and probably go right into a trap."

"Wow." Tyler nodded and Robby was relieved to see understanding in his eyes. "You really know Pogue. That's what he did when you got in your accident." his eyes seemed to glaze over with something, almost like he was angry all the sudden, but it faded away before she could decide what it had been.

"That's not the same thing. He probably just felt bad. Either that or Caleb sent him one of those messages." she put her index finger to her temple and tapped it to try and put emphasis on her point. Even tapping her head hurt though so she almost immediately put it back down again.

"How is that not the same thing?" Tyler asked. Robby's eyes trailed after him as he finally settled in the chair by her bed. The same chair the four boys and her father had been taking turns sitting in. Even Pogue had been there on occasion but not as much as the rest of the boys. She didn't know if it was because Tyler didn't want him to be there with her or if _Pogue_ didn't want to be there. Either situation was possible and in all honesty she didn't care which it was. She had been so zoned in on trying to figure out all the Chase stuff that the person next to her never mattered.

Well, as long as the person wasn't Tyler. Tyler's sessions by her bed were always filled with questions or stupid jokes that didn't make sense. He was either trying to amuse himself in the boring, bad smelling hospital or he didn't want Robby to know how worried he really was.

"There just is Tyler." her voice was full of exasperation but her twin could tell there was an undertone of pain in it. It made him do a double take of all her injuries, his eyes lingering longer on her two casted arms and the stitches above her right eye. The bruises looked worse then how they really felt or so Robby said and Tyler didn't really have any other chance but to listen to her. He wasn't a doctor and he couldn't tell her what to do. It would only get them in a fight and neither of them needed or wanted that.

At this moment he had two options: he could either let it go and just lean back in his uncomfortable stiff chair, or her could press her for more and try and get her to realize just how much Pogue and her were right for each other. The problem with number two was that the hospital wasn't exactly the right place to do something like that. The problem with number one was he was too restless to just sit back and watch while she had all the fun of sleeping.

"You're looking a lot better today. Look at that eye. It's gone down." the twins turned at the same time. Their father had stopped right behind the uncomfortable chair Tyler was sitting in and his hawk like eyes were zeroed in on Robby's still swollen face.

"Yeah. It has, hasn't it?" Tyler echoed, his now laughing eyes turning on Robby. The only thing she could think to do was stick her tongue out at him, but seeing as how that was childish and her father was in the room, she held back.

She always held back when her father was in the room.

Even though he was real and not some kind of ghost, she still wasn't comfortable around him. There was always a vibe she was getting that told her that the pieces just didn't fit with him. He was there but in a way he wasn't. The spark he had had in his eyes when he wasn't addicted still wasn't there even though he claimed he was completely free of the binds his powers had on him. Yet here he was standing in front of her looking as dead as ever, but still managing to show a bit of love in his dark brown eyes. It was harder then she would have thought to keep herself from completely trusting him. She wanted to tell him all her ideas, all her fears, but it wasn't right.

And she didn't think she deserved to dump her burdens on him.

She was the child, she knew that, but she also knew that she had left him in his time of need like a lover would have left a woman he didn't love. Except Robby _did_ love her father with all her heart.

The other thing that always stopped her from telling him everything, was the way Tyler looked at him. In Tyler's eyes their father was a god or something that was once lost and had now been found. The pride and the hope and the love that swelled inside of her twin was something she didn't want to diminish with her silly ideas. She didn't even want to diminish her own hopes. Part of her thought that, for once, she was getting a second chance at life, a second chance to do something right with her life instead of just screwing it up.

How was she supposed to dash both her and Tyler's hopes like that?

She had decided Chase didn't have the power to bring their father back to life, so why was it still bugging her so much?

"I talked to the doctor and he said you're healing up nicely. He also said he might be able to discharge you before the dance if you stay in bed and keep resting." her father's smile was small but she took it as a good sign. He was smiling after all so maybe he wasn't lieing about what the doctor had said. She had found that the four boys and her father liked to do that. If the doctor told them something about her own well being, they often switched it and fixed it into something that didn't sound nearly as bad. Besides, as long as she actually was healing, she didn't care if she could go to the dance or not. It was only Monday and the dance wasn't until Saturday, which left her a bit of time to think about it anyway.

She wouldn't end up with a date with the stitches in her forehead and her swollen face and going without a date was kind of pointless and most of the time not as fun.

"Why don't you go home Tyler? You look exhausted and bored. Besides, it's my turn to sit with Robby." Tyler's nose scrunched up as Nathan Simms turned on his father voice and stared at him pointedly. The only thing he could do was obey and a small part of him had to admit that his father was right, he was exhausted.

"Okay." he sighed as he pulled himself from the chair and over towards Robby. "I'll see you tomorrow." he told her before he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

With a wave, Tyler was gone and Robby was left with her father.

An awkward tension filled the room but she couldn't tell if she was the only one feeling it or not. Was he finally going to tell her what was going on?


	17. Needed

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry this took so long guys. But I've had a lot going on. The my high school's girls basketball team went to the state tournament this weekend and I would have had this up earlier but I just HAD to go watch. :) I hope you like it and that it was worth the wait.**

She sighed and curled into herself even more. The gentle pitter patter of the rain was soothing her better then any drug they had given her and she was sure that this time she would be able to get a few hours of dreamless sleep. None of the drugs they had been pumping her full of the past few days were doing anything for the huge black bags under her eyes. She could feel her own exhaustion in her muscles and it made it hard to move. Hard to want to move anyway. She just wanted to lie there and let the rain wash away all the thoughts that were plaguing her. All her bad dreams and her worries.

She wished it could wash about Chase. That was her strongest wish.

Because he was the one plaguing her nightmares. His smiling face with his eyes glinting like he was the best thing on the earth, the most powerful. And so far, no one had shown any different. Chase was the most powerful and that's what bugged Robby so much.

If he was the most powerful then he could beat any one member of the Covenant. Including Caleb who was planning to take Chase on on his own.

Robby knew that just one of them alone wouldn't cut it. She hadn't cut it after all. She had been the worst of them all actually. Because here she was, lying in a hospital bed with two huge casts on her arms and stitches from where they had had to operate.

Chase had plowed her over like she was nothing. And maybe she was. She had started to think that maybe that was the case, that maybe she was the weakest after all. It bugged her.

And so did this silence...

Her eyes slowly drifted open to be met with the window at the side of her room. The rain had stopped but it was still cloudy and dark outside. It was still gloomy, like her mood.

But there was no rain.

There would be no one more soothing pitter patter that would lull her to sleep. She was on her own now.

"You really do look like shit. I mean, the nurses tried to tell me how bad it was but I just had to see it for myself."

She groaned but couldn't help the smile on her face as she slowly turned to take in her best friend. He looked as good as ever but the bags under his eyes rivaled her's. He hadn't been sleeping either.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Robby asked with a playful smirk. The best she could manage anyway.

"And leave you alone in this really disgustinly smelling room?" he made an appalled expression. "No way in hell."

"You don't understand!" she whined as she made her eyes just a tad bit bigger. "This IS hell!"

He gave a hearty laugh, his full lips streching over white teeth. It was contagious and for a few minutes they both giggled like idiots.

It was Aaron that sobered first and he went about trying his hardest to give Robby a serious look.

"I think you're forgetting why I'm your best friend." he told her as he took a few steps forward and held out his arms. It wasn't until that moment she saw the boom box in one of his hands and cotton candy in the other.

"How'd you get that in here?" she asked him incredulously as she pointed a finger towards the cottony goodness.

"Magic." he said with a snort. His brown eyes shown bright and told her she was stupid for asking. But she couldn't help but think of how REAL magic was and how any of the other boys she called best friends could actually USE magic to get that stuff in.

"Seriously!" she snapped playfully, her eyes narrowing.

"Seriously? I just stuck it under my jacket and they thought I was pregnant." he erupted into another round of giggles as he moved towards a plugin near her bed and Robby rolled her eyes when his back was too her.

She had forgotten during all the drama and almost dieing how great it was to have a friend like Aaron. The kind of friend that knew exactly what you wanted at exactly the right time. She wondered if he really did have magic. She wondered if Aaron knew just exactly how worried and how scared to death she was inside.

"Anyways," he went on, his back still to her, "it's not just a boom box. It's The Hush Sound."

She laughed, half forced and half real. It was great how much in tune they were but the thought of just how in tune was making her jumpy.

With Chase and that other witch(whoever he or she was) around, who was to say that either of them wouldn't go after the people important to them? Chase had gone after her, after all, because he had thought she was important to Pogue. It was a mistake on Chase's part she hoped he realized now. But she also hoped he would make it again.

He obviously wasn't too in tune with what was going on inside the Covenant. Not as much as he thought he was anyway. And he had paid for it. Dearly. He had missed an oppurtunity to corner Pogue and possibly get to Caleb because he had gone after Robby instead of Kate.

The thought of his dire mistake made her want to smirk even if she WAS the one in the hospital bed. What did it matter anyway? His mistakes showed he was only human. Which meant he wasn't as unbeatable as Robby had been worrying about.

But she still thought it would take all four or five of them. Depending on when they finally released her from hell.

Take what you need while there's time The city will be earth in a short while If I'm not mistaken it's been in flames You and I will escape to the seaside

"See? Your favorite." She smiled up at Aaron as he sauntered his way towards her bed, obviously proud of himself.

And then he was crawling in next to her, his hand tucking her head right below his chin. And she was smiling and actually breathing easy again.

When she woke up a while later, Aaron was still under her, his chest rising and falling at a steady pace. It made a lazy smile come to her face, thinking about how it had taken her best friend to be near her before she could even have a few minutes of nightmare free dreams.

If only I can sleep with him forever, she thought hotily as she burrowed her face even deeper in the crook of his neck. His tan skin was warm to the touch, just right when she touched it with her icy cold cheeks. She had forgotten how cold they kept it in hospitals.

"Am I interupting something?" the voice was loud and echoed in her ears for a few minutes before she finally got used to the sound.

She slowly untucked her head from the crook of Aaron's neck to look up at her new visitor. She had expected to see Tyler or Caleb or maybe even Reid.

But not Erich.

He had left so long ago it seemed and she had been sure she wouldn't see him ever again. Or that if she did see him, it wouldn't make a difference, because he wouldn't want her anymore.

He was even more beautiful then he had been and she wondered if it had something to do with the fact she hadn't set eyes on him for such a long time. She had only pictured him in her mind and toyed with the necklace attached to her neck, hanging down right next to her heart. They were, after all, the only things she had to remind her of him. Now he was here in front of her and she liked it. She liked seeing him in all his glory.

Even the purple bags under his eyes made him look more beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that she wanted to swoon right there and then. But what good would that do her?

"No." she found herself whispering. Her voice was hoarse.

How long had she been asleep? She had no idea. The music wasn't playing anymore so she knew it had to have been at least an hour since Aaron had first showed up. It was darker outside, too, but that didn't help her much.

"Have you met Aaron?" Robby went on, her head tilting towards the boy she was wrapped around. He was still breathing deeply and his face was clear of all worry or wrinkles. He hadn't been woken up yet...

"No." Erich said simply. He was still wearing his heavy steal-toed black boots and she wondered if they were the reason he hadn't come more into the room. It almost looked like he was about to leave again. He was only a few steps from the door and he was sort of angled to it. The thought made her brow furrow.

"Well then." she smiled a little but it made her lips hurt. "This is Aaron Abbot. He's my best friend. One of many of course." she added. She remembered now how she had said all the Covenant boys were her best friends too.

"Of course." Erich agreed. His voice was almost tight, clipped in a way. She almost srcunched up her nose in distaste for it and then she realized it was broken and would probably only cause her more pain.

"What's wrong?" she asked instead. She couldn't describe the feeling that was swimming in her stomach. It was almost like she was worried. Worried on some really weird level that Erich was upset with her, that he was angry. But what was the difference? He had a life far away from her and she still had a year left in high school. He was probably going to go on and become some big shot lawyer. She was probably going to be stuck in Ipswich for the rest of her life. That or she was going to end up dead and in her grave by the time she was twenty. Why get her hopes up or even care if this boy (man really) was angry at her?

There's no point in it, she told herself as she awaited for his answer. He hadn't even opened his mouth yet, though. If anything he had clamped it shut even tighter then before. His lips were set in a thin line and the skin on his forhead looked like it was pulled tighter then it had a few moments ago.

"It's just an awkward position I've found you in, is all." was his answer. She hadn't even seen his mouth open but the words were flying out of his mouth anyway. She wanted to run her fingertips over his plump lips, wanted to feel the heat of him. She wanted to make sure he was there.

She still couldn't get past the fact that she had thought he was never coming back.

But even if she did want to run her fingertips over his tan skin and his tight muscles, it didn't matter because the anger at his newest comment was growing in the pit of her belly. Knawing at her to say something and speak her mind.

"What's it matter? It's not like I belong to you." she almost regretted letting the words escape her mouth. Almost. Not to mention she had said them a little loud. Too loud.

But with a glance at Aaron she was halfway soothed. He still hadn't moved a muscle.

"I didn't say you belonged to me." Erich's voice was even and she hated him for it. She had just yelled at him and made what was supposed to be a really hurtful remark. Couldn't he do something about it? Like get angry? "It's just that, I was in a position like that with you not too long ago."

Robby's throat closed on the comment she had been about to spit at him. What was she supposed to say to that? Was he jealous? She was almost positive that that wasn't it. Why would it be?

Maybe he was just TRYING to get her mad. Maybe he was trying to make her let him go or something. But hadn't she already done that when she had said goodbye the first time when they had met in the cafe?

"Listen, if you're trying to get rid of me or trying to make me realize that there isn't anything between us, that it was a one time thing, then I understand. You don't have to just hint at it. Tell me strait out."

"Actually it's the opposite." was all he said. He was still calm and cool and it still bugged the hell out of Robby.

"Oh. So you are jealous?" her voice rose a bit. His calm and cool expression was getting to her. She was angry and upset and sad but none of this seemed to be affecting him. "I already told you, he's my best friend. But fine. You want me to get up? I'll get up."

She struggled with her legs for a minute, trying to untangle them from the weight of Aaron's own legs. When they were finally free she went about trying to swing them over the side of the bed without causing herself too much pain. She could feel the stitches stretching and then she could feel the searing pain that came along with her newly repaired insides. But she didn't stop.

She didn't want to admit it but Erich was too important to her and she wasn't going to just let him walk away because she had fallen alseep with her best friend (which she did about two times a week anway). He was important to her for the wildest and dumbest reasons that she didn't even know. She just knew he was.

She grunted when her bare feet finally hit the white tiled floor. It was cold and she shuddered at the feeling but kept going. She jerked at the plug-in for the IV and then turned, one hand grasping it while the other clutched at her still hurting stomach.

Erich hadn't moved from the doorway and it looked like he wasn't about to move either.

So she was just going to have to go to him, she decided.

She pushed the IV machine in front of her and then took a step. It was hard, making her unused and tired legs hold all her weight but she managed to do it. She managed to make herself do it.

It was a slow process, getting to him, and she kept her eyes on the ground.

She didn't want him to see the tears shining there, the tears from the pain and hurt mixed together. She didn't want him to see how bad she wanted him to stay, how bad she wanted him there with her, holding her hand and helping her through the worst of it.

She didn't want him to see how badly she wanted to tell him everything, wanted to tell him about her powers and her life and her father.

She didn't want him to see anything.

Nothing.

But what she could show him. And that was that she did care about him. That Aaron was nothing more then a friend.

She couldn't help the yelp that passed from her lips when her stiches and her insides gave a strong searing pain. She couldn't help that that yelp had almost turned into a sob.

And when she looked up, he was there. Right there in front of her. And she knew he could see the tears shining in her eyes and the pain etched on her face and she wondered what he was going to do with it. Was he going to throw her away? Leave her there alone? Tell her it was all a joke and that it was over, whatever they had had was over?

She was weak and vulnerable and standing there right in front of him, giving him all she was and he wasn't doing anything. He just stood there. Blank expression and all.

And the tears spilled over when she finally took a shattering breath. Her heart seemed to expand in her chest until she was sure it was going explode and then more and more tears were coming until she thought they would never stop.

Her knees weakened and she was sure she was going to collapse but then he was there. His large caloused hands were running over her bruised nose and her bruised cheeks and then they were wiping away the salty tears that were headed towards her chin.

And she collapsed into him in a flurry of hands and tongues and mouths. He was pressed against her and she was trying to drink him in, all of him. Her hands pressed against his tight abs and clawed at him and his fingers wrapped in her hand, pulling it until she was as close as possible. She could taste her own salty tears and she was sure he could do.

But his tongue felt so great running against her bottom lip and his body felt so great pressed up against hers. She just couldn't stop. He was there with her for however short a time and she didn't want to let go. She didn't want to loose him.

When they both pulled up for air she moved her hands till they were grasping his broad shoulders to help hold her up. Her cheek pressed against his neck and she let her lips connect with the smooth skin there and then she was tasting his skin, trying to take in every part of him she could in an act of desperation.

"Please don't leave me." the sentence sounded so weak to even her own ears and she realized with a startled jump that she hadn't felt this weak since Pogue had left and her mother had admitted strait out that she would have rather Tyler been around then her.

And the thought only made more tears come to her eyes. She couldn't tell if they were from fear or hurt or both or maybe even relief. Relief that he was there with her.

She wished he could stay there forever, pressed up against her and holding her. She wished he could protect her and make her forget everything. Make her forget Pogue and make her forget that she had almost died or would be dieing in a matter of days if Chase got his way.

And then with three little words he almost brought her world to an end. Three little words whispered right there in the hospital room...

"I'm right here."

He was there.


	18. Yay!

**I just thought this was announcement worthy...**

**:D**

**This story is one away from reach 100 on alert lists. That's right. 99 people have put this story on their alerts. Which means 99 people are going to be notified when I post a chapter. How cool is that? I know...I'm stupid. But I just got all excited...and I couldn't help myself.**

**So how about one more person, eh? It sure would mean a lot.**

**In other news...**

**I'm working on the next chapter right now. I'm actually taking a break from it to write this. So expect it soon. I promise it will be up. :)**

**Thanks for the reviews guys. There was 9 for that last chapter and it sure did make me happy!**


	19. Not Anymore

When she was a little girl, love had always been difficult for Robby to imagine. Growing up watching a relationship like her parents had had, left her no choice but to doubt the simple four letter word. She realized that it was just that, a simple four letter word that some people threw around like a baseball, but the word had always had more meaning to her then some others (mainly Tyler). When she was little, she had analyzed it from all angles (from as many angles as a little kid could anyway). And right then, when she was around eight years old, she decided that love was impossible.

And then she had turned thirteen and received her powers.

Tyler and her had started to hang out with Pogue, a fellow Ipswich witch, and her idea changed. She decided right then and there that Pogue Parry would be the love of her life. She was going to marry that boy if it was the last thing she did. He had changed her outlook on life and more importantly, love. So didn't that mean marriage was inevitable? It had to, she had decided. Whether Pogue knew it or liked it, they were going to get married.

And that was that.

But just the thought of it these days, of Pogue Parry being her soul mate and life time lover, was a riot. Maybe it wasn't really a riot but it certainly was an ironic thought.

Especially since she was currently in the arms of another guy she was definitely on her way to loving. Another being the operative word.

She was not in Pogue Parry's arms like she had planned when she was thirteen. She was in a stranger's arms actually and she shuddered to think of what her thirteen year old self would have thought about that.

She probably would have cried in all honesty.

Robby almost wanted to cry right then.

She was in the most amazing guys arms and all she could think about was her past love.

But then again, was it really past?

There wasn't really any doubt in her mind that she was still in love with Pogue Parry. Something in her heart told her she always would be.

Something also told her that it was going to take a lot more then dating some stranger to make her forget that love.

Even though said stranger made her feel things she hadn't felt in years, it didn't matter. Because Pogue still made her feel the same things. He made her feel the same things and more. But said stranger also kept Robby from setting herself up for a world of hurt which she had already done.

The fateful night at Nicky's still rang fresh in her mind and so did the feelings that came with it. She wasn't so eager to experience that sort of pain again which made her even more content to stay in this stranger's arms.

But did that count as lying to herself? Was she lying to herself by staying with this stranger and pushing her feelings for Pogue onto the back burner? COULD it be lying to herself if Pogue didn't even have an ounce of love for her anymore?

If he didn't have an ounce of love though, then why had he run after her after she had left so quickly?

Why had he fought for her and slept by her side like Tyler said he had?

Which brought her back to the fact that that simple little four letter word was complicated. It made her want to rip her hair out and scream until her throat closed.

"Take it easy, Robby, alright?" Nathan Simms snapped at his daughter. She was trying her best to avoid the hand he was trying to clamp down on her arm and he was getting tired of it. She was tired and sore and hurt and she needed help but she wouldn't accept it. At least, that's what he hoped it was.

"I'm fine." was her clipped and stubborn answer. The only thing he could do was growl again and then take a step back as she hoisted herself out of the wheelchair and into the passenger side of the car. She had the full intention of getting out of that damned hospital as fast as possible and her father wasn't helping her accomplish that.

It was weird saying that, she had decided. Her father. She still wasn't fully convinced that he was real. She knew he could walk and talk and do all that fatherly stuff but it was hard to accept the fact he wasn't dieing after she had cleary seen he was with her own eyes.

"I wish you would let me take you to your mother's house. I would feel a lot better if you stayed there." the driver's side door closed and her father shifted in his seat to buckle his seatbelt.

"Aaron's mother is more like my mother then my mother." Robby told him with a sigh. Her hand was twitching to itch at the stiches in her stomach and her eyes were darting this way and that. It felt like it had been an eternity since she had seen the outside world. But it had really only been a week.

His Corvette roared to life and he put it in drive. "Ok. At least you know how I feel about it." was his only answer. She couldn't decide if she was happy he wasn't pressing her or down right hurt. "I just worry about you is all." he went on.

"You don't need to worry about me." she cut him off before he could say anything else. "I've been taking care of myself since I was fifteen. I think I can handle a few days of bed rest."

"I guess I deserved that one."

She scoffed. As far as she was concerned he deserved more then just a simple snappy comment. He had shown up out of no where ALIVE when she thought he was dead. He deserved a lot more...

And so did she. She was the one that had left HIM to die not the other way around. And she had to keep reminding herself of that. They were almost even on the number of bad things they had done to each other.

"So are you going to tell me what really happened?" it came out as harsh as she had meant for it too and she had to give herself a mental pat on the back. For a few seconds there, she thought she was going to break down even before she asked the question.

But she hadn't and that's what counted. She turned then, slightly to the left so she could stare at him and take in his posture. His hands were clamped down on the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes mentally. She couldn't believe he was actually going to play the dumb routine at this point in time. She knew that he knew she was aware of everything or almost everything. She still had pieces to fill in and she could only do that if he helped her.

"I mean the fact that about six months ago you were dieing. I was watching you shrivel up day after day. You were addicted to Using and you were going to DIE! You can't reverse shit like that and yet here you sit!"

"Watch your mouth." he shot back, his fatherly tone set back into place now. She scoffed at him. He was going act like a father now when what he really needed to do was act like a professional?

"Are you going to tell me or not?" she shot back, ignoring the glare he was sending her way while still trying to drive.

"You know I would tell you if I could." was his whispered answer. She watched with slight hurt as his glare turned to ice.

"What? You can't tell me even if it's a matter of life and death? One of the guys could die, maybe even me or Sarah." She was even more harsh now because she was determined to get it out of him. She could see his jaw clenching and unclenching just to clench again. He was comtemplating, she decided, about telling her.

She hoped the answer would go in her favor.

"I know someone brought you back. I know someone's Using just to keep you alive. And I know for a FACT that it isn't Chase. It's someone much stronger then that. And whoever it is knows a lot about me and the Sons. A lot, Dad. They're here for something and they want it really bad. Why else would they bring you back? All you have to do is tell me. It's the simplest thing in the world! Save a few lives before you die. Redeem yourself."

He winced at her last words and so did she. They had slipped out and were meaner then she wanted them to be. She didn't want to hurt him, only convince him that telling her was the right thing to do.

"You just don't understand." he tried to tell her. His grip finally loosened on the steering wheel and he turned a pleading gaze to her.

"No you don't understand." she snapped back. Her anger was out weighing her common sense and she couldn't come up with anything else to say. "I'm going to find out with or without your help. I just hope it won't be too late."

She swung a glare at him for about a minute before she finally shoved her door open with a snap, stopping the words that were about to come from her father's mouth. Aaron's was already at the side of the car and she welcomed the arm he threw around her waist. She dind't accept it because she needed help though, she accepted it because she wanted to spite her father and make him realize just how much she didn't need him. How much she hadn't needed him for the past few years when he had slacked at the job of father.

"How's it going Mr.Simms?" Aaron was looking over her shoulder at her father who had obviously come up behind them caring her hospital bag. Even Aaron's tone was clipped and she wondered why. She hadn't told him everything that had went on. It was impossible actually because everything that had to do with her father was so linked with the Covenant.

"I'm fine Aaron." her father was closer to back then she thought. "Are you sure your parents don't have a problem with this?" he went on. Robby guessed his eyebrows were probably raised with a skeptical look on his face, like they were a pair of dating teenagers trying to get by with a lie.

She almost rolled her eyes.

"Yeah." Aaron said, his smile clear in the sound of his voice. "They love Robby just as much as they love me. Probably more so." he joked.

"Hey, Aaron," Robby started when they got half way up the steps, "do you mind giving me a minute? I want to talk to my dad some more before he leaves." she gave him a small smile to try and convince him she really did want to talk to her father and then she watched as he took slow, delibrate steps towards the front door of his house.

"Look, I don't mean to be...mean. But you have to understand that there are lives on the line. And I have to figure this out before it gets too far." her muddy eyes drifted down to look at the pavement in front of her. She didn't want him to see the fear in her eyes.

"I know and I wish I could do more-"

"You can." she cut him off. It seemed to be a popular thing for her to do lately. "You can tell me who brought you back."

"It will only cause you more pain." he tried to insist. "You won't like the answer you get."

"Something tells me I'm not going to like anything that happens from this point on." she snapped back harshly. "But that's not going to stop me from trying to find out who's behind this."

She finally brought her eyes up to stare at him, to take him in. She wanted to memorize his face. Wanted to remember how he was now. Healthy and strong. She wanted to remember him as that happy man that took her to the park and pushed her in swings and waited for her at the bottom of the slide.

She wanted to remember him as her father again because she knew he wasn't ever going to be again. This was it. She knew it. He was here now but if and when she found out who was behind everything he would be dead again. He would be gone which made this her last chance. Her last hope to remember him as he was way back when.

"I'm begging you not to do this." he whispered and suddenly he was her father again and she was clinging to ever word he said. "Begging." he said again as his hand came up to caress her cheek. "I can't loose you again. You're my flesh and blood, Robby, whether you like it or not. You're MY daughter and I love you."

"I love you too. But I'm not your daughter anymore. You're dead." 


	20. Don't Say It

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this one out. I've been struggling with it and I'm still unsure. Feedback would be wonderful. Who knows, I may end up re-writing this whole section.**

Disowning her dead father had to be one of the hardest things she had ever done in her life. Especially since he was dead but not really dead. It made sense to her that someone would bring him back just to get to her. And what else could she have done but distance herself from him? She had convinced herself it was her best choice. She didn't want anyone else getting hurt because she was too weak to get rid of her father when she knew he had something to do with what was happening. It was only logical, she told herself, to keep everyone safe. She wanted it to stop at her. She had been the only one to get hurt so far and she wanted to keep it that way. She really did. She cared too much for the Sons and Aaron and Sarah to let them get hurt, to let them get mixed up in this.

Whoever it was was obviously after her because they were targetting the people dearest and nearest to her. They were hitting her weak spots that would bring her to her knees. But, if said person really was targetting her and her friends and family, then what was stopping this person from going after the Sons or even Aaron or Sarah? It was impossible to know because she knew nothing about her attaker. The thing that angered her more, though, was the fact that her father DID know who it was and he probably knew how this person worked and operated. If he had just said who it was or what the person was like she could defend the people closest to her. For now, because of his stubborness and own fear, she was stuck defending them blindly.

"You have got to be shitting me, Robby." Aaron stomped into the room, his lips pressed into a bitter line. He looked like he was about to blow a vessel in his head and Robby knew exactly why.

"You're supposed to be in bed. Don't you understand that? How are you supposed to heal if you don't stop moving around all the time?" he gave an exasperated, melodramatic sigh and Robby let out a tingle of laughter.

"Are you serious, Aaron? You really expect me to lay in bed all day doing nothing?" she gave him a sly wink as if to tell him there was no way in hell and then she turned back to the coffee she was making.

"He's right, you know."

Robby turned and gave Pogue a scowl. This was, she realized, the first time she had seen him since he had found her almost dead. He hadn't bothered to come see her before this and it had been one week and two days (she had been counting) since the incident with Chase. Actually, none of the Sons had been by to visit her. Not even her own brother.

She wondered if it had something to do with Chase and the Sons trying to protect her. But it was a little late for protecting her now. Actually, it was way too late. She was already way more involved then any of them probably wanted her to be. It made her wonder if they had taken into consideration her idea that someone else was out there, trying to get to their power. She knew it was true but all four of them refused to believe her. She was pretty sure deep down inside they did believe. For the most part, she was sure they were in denial. They had all had their powers for a total of five years and nothing like this had ever happened before. She figured it was the fear that was making them not think strait, making them not believe her.

But, she told herself, maybe I'm wrong. They could just really believe there's no one else out there besides Chase. It's a possibility.

"Can you give us some privacy, Aaron?" Pogue asked, his eyes glued to Robby's back. She could feel them burning holes in to her, just like they always did.

Was he always going to have the same affect on her?

"I don't see why you're here, Pogue." she told him seriously. She kept her eyes focused on the coffee in front of her because she knew that if she turned to look him the eyes she would fall apart and she couldn't afford to fall apart just yet.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we have a lot to talk about, Robby. What are you doing out of bed anyway? You're supposed to be resting. What if you pull your stitches?"

She scoffed but still kept her back towards him. She was just going to have to show him her disdain through the sound of her voice.

"Since when did you become my mother? The last time I checked you were just the ex-boyfriend that broke my heart." she bit out, probably with a little more bitterness then needed. But who could blame her? She was allowed to have bitterness after everything she had been through, after everything he had put her through.

"Well," he started, "I'm about to become the ex-boyfriend that's going to fix your heart." she could feel him moving closer and she hoped he couldn't hear the intake of breath that took her by surprise. Her heart sped up and heat flooded her cheeks.

How long had she waited to hear those words? How long had she waited for this very moment where everything could be good again, where she could finally be with Pogue again? Forever, she realized. She had waited for this moment as soon as she had collapsed in his staircase with heart break.

But now that she was actually hearing the words, they didn't sound so great. They just put her in mroe pain because she knew, deep down, that he was wrong. He wasn't going to fix it, because nothing could fix it. It was already said and done. The only thing that coud even heal her heart would have to be time.

Not Pogue.

Time.

"Don't." she said simply, her voice even more chocked up this time. "You want to fix this but you can't. You want us to be friends again. You want us to be ok with each other but I can't do that. How long have you known I've loved you? It seems like forever. And I think you know I still do. I can't be your friend, Pogue. And you can't fix my heart because you broke it."

It stung to speak the truth. It stung because she was just realizing this herself.

"I don't just want to be your friend, Robby."

He was closer to her know, his front pushing against her back, and she could feel his hands on either side of her, boxing her in. She realized that if she wasn't going to look at him, then he was going to at least cage her in and make her listen to him.

"I know you love me and I-"

"What the fuck is going through your mind Pogue Parry? Huh?" she cut him off. She was trying to make her voice as hard as possible. She was trying to make him think the words he had just about said didn't affect her.

"You've said that before and look where it got me." she took in a deep breath and pushed herself closer to the counter. She didn't want to feel his warmth at her back.

She didn't want to give in.

"Would you just listen to me?" he snapped back.

"That's just it, Pogue."

She was about to plead now and she knew it. God she was getting weak. But she couldn't do it. After everything...

She wanted it so much but she couldn't...

Not with all the hurt he had caused her before. Who was to say he wouldn't do it again? Who was to say he was doing this of his own free will? What if this was from guilt?

"If you're doing this, telling me that, I mean, because you think I'm going to die, then you're dumb." she whispered it, but when Pogue banged his fists on the countertop on the sides of her, she knew he had heard it. And she knew it didn't make him very happy.

"You remember when were were fourteen? We were crazy about each other and we were so young. I wouldn't let you out of my site and you never wanted to be out of my arms. We did everything together. You remember just a few months ago? When you were laying in my bed that night because you were too scared to be alone? God damnit, Robby, I live for those moments. I live for the moments when you're there with me." he took a deep breath and even his voice was shaky. It scared her.

"You just don't understand..." she trailed off for a few seconds to get her thoughts together again. "It's too much. Too much hurt and too much pain. I can't do it. I can't put myself in your arms knowing how much hurt you can cause me."

Within seconds he was pushing up against her again and his scent was filling her nostrils. He smelt like he always did, a combination of leather and some kind of soap and she wanted to bury her hands in his hair and kiss him like she used. She wanted to wrap her arms around his strong muscles and feel safe. But she couldn't. Because she was letting him go.

"I'll get you back." he whispered in her ear. His sweet breath flitted across her skin and made her shiver. And she wanted to tell him that there was nothing more she wanted, then for him to have her. "I'll get you back and I'll prove it to you. You belong in my arms."

And his warmth was gone as quick as it had come and she was alone in the kitchen with heavy tears in her eyes wishing she could beg him to come back and just take her, take her anywhere as long as she was with him.

The half empty coffee cup in her hands clattered to the counter and the luke warm coffee spilled over the counter and onto her socked feet, but she didn't care.

Was life supposed to be this hopeless? Was she going to die like this? So empty? So...broken? Was she going to die at all? She wondered. It seemed like a good possibility and right now it looked like she would be dieing alone.

"Robby?" Aaron's voice was just as broken as hers was and she realized even he was about to break down into tears. He didn't even know the half of it, and yet he did, all at the same time.

"I had to let him go." she whispered as she choked back the sobs. "He said it. He told me he loved me..." she trailed off and took in a shaky breath.

"And I had to let him go." and she broke down into sobs.

**So how many of you saw that coming? Eh? :P**


	21. Unexpecting

She snapped the phone closed again with an aggravated yet sad sigh.

That had to have been the twentieth time she'd tried, and there was still no answer. She wondered where he was, what he was doing. She wondered if he was ok. She WORRIED if he was ok. With everything going on, she wouldn't put it past whoever it was to go after him. It was just a matter of time before someone close to her got hurt, after all.

"If you snap that phone closed one more time, I think it might snap in half." Sarah joked. Robby turned towards the other girl but didn't really register anything she was saying. She was too distracted by everything that was going on and what everything meant.

"Sorry." she whispered finally when her eyes had finally focused. "I'm just...out of it."

She didn't think there was a better way to describe.

"Anyway, like I was saying before you had to call him again," Sarah teased, "Caleb says we have to make this trip snappy. He said find a pair of dresses and some shoes and get out again. He said our appearence at the dance has to look real so Chase won't suspect any different. But he doesn't want us gone long enough for him to worry so we can't spend hours and hours looking."

It was weird to think Sarah knew all about their...situation. Every time she heard something about it come out of Sarah's mouth, she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. She guessed it was because of all the training she had put herself through through the years. She had trained herself not to think or talk about the powers of the Covenant when in the company of others. That way, at least when she was younger, she had less of a chance of spilling the beans on accident. It just made life a lot easier when she didn't have to worry about what would happen if she let it slip.

So she hadn't really shaken the habbit and it showed through whenever Sarah mentioned something about Chase.

"Get the dresses." she repeated absentmindedly. "Right."

"Ok. I guess I'll be doing the shopping for the both of us. But you have to at least try on everything I give you." Sarah pointed a finger towards Robby, her eyebrows raised in a serious expression that said 'you better do everything I say' and Robby almost laughed. It was comical to see Sarah, of all people, trying to be serious and commanding.

"Fine." she agreed, a little bit of exasperation showing through. "I have to be back in like two hours though because I promised Aaron I would help him sort out his tux."

"I don't see why you hang around with that guy." Sarah cut her off before she could say anything else. "I mean, he's mean and just down right perverted." Robby was suddenly remined of the reason why she hadn't liked Sarah when she first met her. The girl seemed judgmental on a certain level and it bugged Robby to death.

"He's not that bad, Sarah." she snapped. Her voice was more clipped then she had wanted it to be but she could help that now. "You have to get to know him. He only acts like an ass around his groupies and Kira. Any other time he's an okay person."

"Are you sure he doesn't like you?" Sarah questioned. She was skimming through a rack of dresses now. "I bet he only acts so nice when he's around you and I also bet it's because he likes you."

"You're funny, Sarah." Robby said drily. She didn't bother with getting upset over Sarah's comment. She had heard it from everyone else before. It was nothing new. "He's like my brother and he knows that. The day Aaron makes a pass at me or admits his undieing love for me is the day hell freezes over."

"Hell should freeze over right about now then." Sarah joked as Robby rolled her eyes.

"Let's just find these dresses, shall we?" Robby asked, her eyebrows raised.

She watched as Sarah's expression seemed to fall and then she was turning, her hands gripping at random dresses. She was pulling through them but wasn't seeing them.

Maybe it wasn't Sarah that irritated her. Maybe it was everything that irritated her. Maybe it was the situation that irritated her.

Erich hadn't called her so she couldn't tell him about the dance. Pogue was avoiding her like the plague after his little confession. Reid hadn't stopped by to see her and neither had Tyler. Aaron had been busy lately with Kira and plans for his own night at the dance, and Kate had never really liked her. On her end of the stick it looked like she had been abandoned and she couldn't help but think it was true.

She just kept telling herself it was for the best. She kept telling herself that this way, no one would get hurt if they happened to be near her when something bad happened. Even one of the guys.

But the other side of her also had to wondered why everyone had disappeared when she needed them most. Hadn't it been Erich, a week ago, that had held her in his arms and told her he would always be there? And yet here she was, alone. How did that work out? She wondered. She had just gotten herself convinced she didn't love Pogue anymore and that this new found stranger was her new air supply, and then he disappeared.

"Sarah," Robby called softly, even she could hear the hitch in her voice and she wished it would go away, "I'm sorry." she said finally. "For snapping at you and everything. I guess I'm just so irritated and angry and upset about this whole thing. I didn't meant to take it out on you."

"Don't worry about it." was Sarah's reply from the other side of the rack. Robby could hear the smile in her voice and it made her feel a little better. "I can take a mood swing every once in a while. I'm a girl after all." Robby gave a snort of agreement and laughter before turning her attention back to the dresses again.

Maybe he would call. Maybe he wouldn't. But she had to focus on the now, right?

"You're buying that one. I don't care what you say." Sarah said an hour later.

Robby turned up a lip and scrunched her nose, an obvious look of distaste.

"Sarah," she started to say in a pleading voice but was cut off.

"I don't care." Sarah snapped playfully as she ran her hand down the red material.

"It ruffles too much in the middle." Robby protested, her own hand skimming down it to try and prove her point.

"No it doesn't." was Sarah's quick reply. The smile on the blonde's face was wide and it made Robby huff with annoyance.

"I don't see how you think I can do this, Sarah." Robby went on, turning her back on the mirror and her own bruised and battered reflection. "Have you seen my arms? It looks like I've taken a very intense beating, which I have, but that's not the point. Do you think people want to see my disgusting bruises at a dance that's supposed to be magical? I bet I'll scare away all the tiny little freshman."

Robby was wondering if she was even getting her arguement across to the other girl. Sarah still looked way too happy and over eager at the fact Robby was in a dress.

"You look fine. No one will care about the bruises. The fact that you show up is all that's going to matter." Sarah tried to convince her. "Is that your phone or mine?" she said a few seconds later, her brow knitted together as she tried to listen to the ring tone blaring from one of their pockets.

I'm forever blowing bubbles pretty bubles in the air they fly so high they reach the sky and like my dreams they fade and die

"Mine." Robby whispered as she looked towards the dressing room. Her dark wash jeans were laid carelessly on a stool and her phone was in her pocket, but she made no move to get it.

"You think it's Erich?" Sarah asked as she moved towards it, her dress rustling with the movement.

"I don't know." Robby said hurriedly. "You check." she held her breath though, as soon as the words escaped, and watched as Sarah ruffled around in her jeans.

"No." Sarah said sadly, shaking her head. "It's a text from Tyler." Sarah moved back out of the dressing room, her arm outstretched to give Robby her phone.

Robby's heart gave a few painful thuds in her chest before slowly dieing back down into a normal beat. She could feel her blush of embarassment and disappointment as she flipped the phone open.

Meeting tonight at 7.  
Be there.  
We have to go over the plans some more.

She exited the message to look at her phone's clock and gave another sigh, this one full of annoyance.

"I have to go meet the guys. We're going over plans again." she told Sarah. She knew she didn't have to say anymore as she moved into the dressing room and closed the door.

"Ok. Well, leave the dress with me and I'll go ahead and buy it with your cash, okay?" Sarah said through the door. Robby was at least hoping to get out of having to wear the dress but it looked like Sarah had other plans and smart ones too.

"Fine." she said back, her tone as emotionless as she could make it but somehow she knew Sarah was still smiling on the other side of the door.

"So can we just get this over with?" Robby snapped as she made her way down the stairs of the colony house thirty minutes later.

"What's your problem?" Tyler questioned back from his stone seat next to Reid. Robby hoped the glare she sent him was enough to answer his question.

"You. You're all my problem." she muttered darkly as she slumped into her chair and crossed her legs.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Reid snapped back, his blue eyes cold.

"Oh, you mean my bed at Aaron's? No, actually, I quite like it there. No Bitches of Ipswich, no aruging, no Using, no problems." she snapped back. Aaron had made up that name specifically for the Sons and Robby figured it was a perfect time to use it.

"You're getting bitter on us right NOW?" Caleb asked, his voice incredulous.

"No. No one's bitter. Let's just get on with us, okay? That way tomorrow comes faster and we can actually figure out which one of us is going to die."

The room fell silent as four pairs of eyes snapped to Robby. She could feel them all drilling into her as she stared into the fire. She knew she shouldn't have said it but for some reason she didn't feel guilty. She felt like it had to be said, that someone had so say it. And since none of them had, that only left her to do the job.

"No one's going to die." Caleb said firmly. "Not if we stick to the plan."

"Which we should go over right now." Pogue said sternly. They were his first words all night and they made a difference. Everyone seemed to snap to attention and finally get with program.

"Right. So, I'm supposed to be meeting Chase at the Putnam Barn at eleven. Right before I ascend."

"Wait. Back up for just a second." Robby interupted. "How do you know that? No one's actually told me." she glared around at the group again before turning to Caleb for an answer.

"He had Sarah under a spell a week ago when you were in the hospital. He tricked me and then threatened me with your lives." was Caleb's curt answer. He said it so casually, as if it was an every day happening.

"Oh, right. And no one ever thought to tell me about this fucking incident?" Robby asked calmly. She was actually angry now, not just irritated.

"We didn't want to worry you." Tyler put in with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh, I see. You didn't want to worry me even though I'm as much a part of this Covenant as any of your are. I bet Sarah knows more about it then me right now!" she leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees like the rest of them so she could focus on the fire in front of her again.

"Now's not the time." Caleb snapped.

"Sure, sure. Now's not the time. I get it Caleb." her tone was icy as she leaned back again to take in the whole group. "I mean, I'm sure we'll all live through tomorrow so we can talk about it some other time."

"We WILL all live through it." Caleb tried to sound stern but to Robby it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more then anyone else.

Even he's not sure about it, she thought darkly.

"As I was saying," Caleb went on again as he glared at Robby, "I'm supposed to meet Chase at the Barn at eleven. So I'm going to leave before you guys. But you guys need to hang out there for a little while longer so he doesn't get suspicious. Then when the four of you get there we can take him down. I'm thinking we should come at him from all different sides and hit him with as much power as we can."

"And Sarah?" Reid asked, his hands folded in front of him.

"She'll stay at the dance with Kate. At least they'll be a little safer together and in public." Caleb answered before he let out a sigh. The other four members of the Covenant could tell he was worried but none of them offered any comforting words because there were none.

Anything was possible when it came to the magic, that had been proved, which meant there wasn't really any knowing what was going to happen. There was only hope that things would go the way they wanted them to so they could end.

Robby slowly rose from her chair, her dark eyes focused on the concrete floor as she moved towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Tyler called out.

"Away from you guys." she muttered quietly before turning to answer him properly. "We're done here aren't we?" she asked. "I'm going to Aaron's. I promised him I'd help him with his tux. And unlike you guys, he's actually been here for me when I needed him the most. He didn't just run off and hide."

She hoped they didn't see the tears stinging at her eyes or the betrayal that was hidden under them. She hoped they didn't catch on to just how hurt she was that they had abandoned her.

"That's not fair, Robby." Reid said sternly. He looked as if he wanted to say something else but nothing else came.

"Oh, it's not? No, you know what's not fair? I'm the one with the stiches in her stomach. I'm the one with the battered arms and the black eye. What have you guys got? I never once complained about it either. I was fine with taking the brunt of Chase's anger. All I asked of you guys was to be there for me and where are you? With your girlfriends?" she shot a brief glare in Pogue and Caleb's direction before turning to Reid and Tyler. "Playing pool?"

Tyler made a move to get up and his mouth started to move but Robby turned. "No. It's ok. I'm just going to leave. Maybe this time I won't get the shit beat out of me."

She drug her feet the rest of the way to the stairs before getting a tight grip on the banister and pulling herself up, hot tears still stinging at her eyes.

Erich blinked and blinked again, the image that had been in front of his eyes seconds ago disappearing to reveal is grubby hotel room.

It was finally happening. He finally had her right where he wanted her, broken, abandoned, and completely hopeless. It was panning out quite nicely, actually. He had to at least admit that he was doing a good job. He figured he could do with a little self praise anyway.

He had been doing more then his share of meddling during the past week. Ever since the hospital he had put one of the final stages of his plan in motion. His goal was to isolate her, make her feel hopeless and vulnerable. And unexpecting. She was so concentrated on her issues with the Sons and Pogue's admission of love for her that she was hardly remebering the real threat anymore. She wasn't paying attention.

He had given all four of the Sons his own little dose of bad luck. Broken cars and bikes, dead cell phones, jammed doors. Anything to keep all four of them from visiting with her. Pogue's little visit had been a complete slip up on his part but it didn't seem to be making a difference. Everything seemed to be on schedule still.

He almost felt like a villian in one of the Batman movies. Should he be cackling? He wondered with amusment.

Now all that was left was for the Sons and Daughter to get to the Barn and focus all their attention on stopping Chase (which he would help out with a little) so he could set up his trap. He was finally going to get his hands on Robby and really get down to business.

It wouldn't be long now before he got at least one of the Sons' powers.

Not long now at all.

**Author's Note: So Erich's really getting nasty isn't he? Screwing with Robby's relationships with the Sons and everything. Wonder how it's going to work out...Of course _I_ know, but you guys don't yet. So look for the next chapter.**


	22. Over My Head

_I never knew  
I never knew that everything was falling through  
That everyone I knew was waiting on a queue  
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth_

Robby steadied herself with the wood railing. The weight of the worry pressing down on her shoulders was making her trip. She wasn't sure she wanted to walk all the way down Caleb's staircase with all the weight she was carrying. She didn't think she was physically able to do it.

"Hey." she turned at the soft voice and was met with the glowing beauty of Sarah. It was no wonder Caleb had taken a liking to her. She was everything a girl should be. Sarah stuck out a small white hand and Robby grasped it firmly. Even though she thought Sarah didn't fully comprehend the situation, it was nice to have some comfort.

The point was that any one of them could die. They were all in it together, but that wouldn't stop Chase from taking down at least one of them, including Sarah.

Time seemed to slow as they descended the stairs one by one. Their heels made only a light sound on the polished wood. When they finally reached the bottom, still hand in hand, they were met with a sight of all four boys. Robby's eyes found Pogue by habit and her eyes scanned over his tight body clad in a suit with his usual unruly hair. She couldn't stop the shiver that shot up her spine or the pang of hurt when she was reminded of Kate. It was only after all of that that she thought of Erich and some of the worry in her chest turned to guilt.

Erich should have been the one at the bottom of the stairs sending chills up her spine. Erich should have been the one taking her to the first dance of the year. He should have just been there. With her. But he wasn't. And just the thought of it made her nose wrinkle and her eyes threaten to tear up.

A part of her had decided a few days ago that she wasn't ready for this battle. That she was scared for this battle. More scared then she would, or could, admit.

Or maybe she just didn't want to face what would come after this battle. She was scared for that part, too, after all. Scared about the fact that she was slowly but surely being separated and torn from her family and closest friends. Scared that everything was falling apart around her with or without the stress of one Chase Collins.

She was loosing herself, too. Which was the worst part of the whole thing. And she couldn't seem to find her way back to herself, either.

It was like she was stuck in the middle of a deserted field. But it wasn't exactly deserted. A figure of herself was at the other end but every time she tried to move towards that figure, the figure moved further and further away. She was reaching for something that was always _just_ out of reach. The horrible thing was that it was her that was just out of reach.

She wondered where she had lost it all. She was almost positive she had had it all together in Cali. She had been happy in Cali except the little fact of her father being on his death bed. Actually, she had enjoyed Cali and felt, for the most part, like she belonged there.

So was it the "big move" to Ipswich that had her off kilter? Or was it just everything that was going on? Still being in love with Pogue but having good potential feelings for Erich? It was all a mess. One horrible mess that she couldn't seem to fix no matter how hard she tried.

Maybe after this battle, she decided mentally, it would be better if I just left. Better for everyone.

"You girls look beautiful." Caleb's mother looked like she had been crying. And drinking. The puffiness in her red rimmed eyes was a dead giveaway. Robby didn't blame her for crying. This was going to be a dangerous night.

"Thanks." she whispered lowly. She slowly took her hand out of Sarah's grip and took the last few steps down the stairs. She took in a shaky breath and separated herself from the rest of the group. It was odd but she felt like she didn't quite belong. Like they weren't her family anymore.

She hadn't seen them in weeks except for last night and that had been a disaster. She had stormed out before anything had gotten settled. She only felt slightly bad about it though. Half of her thought they deserved it and half of her thought she was just taking her fear out on them. Either way the tension was thick now.

_But that's how it's got to be  
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy  
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see  
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears_

"You look good."

She turned from the fireplace to take in his disheveled appearance and his fingerless gloves. He always had to have that bad boy image. She had to admit he pulled it off well though. He pulled everything off well.

"I'm scared, Reid." she whispered. Her chocolate eyes mixed with his beautiful blue ones and she hoped she wouldn't break down right there in front of him. In front of all of them. They couldn't know how scared she was. How worried. They just couldn't.

"Come on." a smirk spread across his face before he could let his next phrase slip out of his mouth. "You've got four muscular guys to protect you."

A weak smile was all she could manage as an answer. All she had the energy to give. Four muscular men or not, she was still scared and she was still going to have to hold her own.

"You know it's not going to go according to plan." she told him next. Her eyes roamed the room to rest on Caleb and Sarah in the corner across from her and Reid. Sarah was wrapped up in his arms and he looked like he was whispering sweet nothings to her, sweet comforts.

"It never does." she added as an after thought. She wanted to be Sarah right then. She wanted to be wrapped up in someone's arms, having them whisper reassurances to her. She wanted to be safe.

"It will this time." Reid put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she covered it with her. She gave it a gentle squeeze for a few seconds before she finally broke away from him and turned back to the fireplace. She waited and listened as his footsteps crossed the room.

The minutes ticked by into a half an hour and a half an hour turned into an hour.

And it was time and her hands were shaking, her stomach in knots.

"Come back to us, Robby." Mrs. Danvers whispered to her as she clutched at Robby's shoulders tightly. Robby realized the double meaning a few seconds later and tried to give her a firm nod. But it was useless. She couldn't agree to something she wasn't sure was going to happen.

"Just try, dear." Mrs. Danvers said. Robby wondered if the older woman could see the war in her eyes and the emotions waiting to burst to the surface.

The dance passed in a blur. Just the same thing as it had been the year before. Their small little group spent most of their time there standing in the corner. Sarah and Caleb had a few dances here or there but most of the time was spent in bitter silence. Each of them was strung up in their own thoughts of what was going to come next, what was going to happen.

The goodbye between Caleb and Sarah was emotional and by the time Caleb was walking away, Sarah had tears of worry in her eyes. Kate stood at her shoulder trying to give her comfort but not much could ease the pain in the blond girls eyes.

Pogue and Kate didn't exchange any words, not even a look.

And then they were off. Headed towards the parking lot where Caleb would leave first.

"Don't start the party without us, alright, man?" Reid joked. He laid a hand on Caleb's back in a comforting jester and then turned away.

Caleb exchanged brief 'see you laters' with Tyler and Pogue and a simple nod with Robby before finally sliding into his Mustang and no doubt driving off to his doom. To all of their dooms.

Everyone knows I'm in  
Over my head  
Over my head With eight seconds left in overtime  
She's on your mind She's on your mind

**So, the next chapter will be the last chapter. And I'm going to make it clear right now that there WILL be a sequel. That way you don't get super made at me for the ending that's coming up. I'm excited for the next chapter though and the sequel. I hope you guys are, too.**


	23. The NotSoMuch Ending

By the time they all piled out of Tyler's Hummer, all of the air around the barn smelled of burnt flesh and wood. It was obvious to all four of them that Caleb hadn't been able to distract Chase long enough. And now Caleb was probably paying for it.

Robby had known nothing was going to go according to plan but she had still harbored a secret hope that things actually would go like they were supposed to. She wanted things to go the easy way. The whole go in, kill chase, get out, type of thing. She shouldn't have even let herself have that small hope because even if it was just small, it was still getting smashed. It definitely didn't help with her hopes of winning this no doubt difficult and long battle.

"Spread out," Pogue's voice floated to her from down the line of witches. She guessed since he was the second oldest, that he was going to be taking charge of the situation. They had to find Caleb and regroup. "And keep your eyes peeled," he added as a bit of an after thought. He had probably realized that Chase had the power to evade most, if not all, of them. And being surprised was not something they needed right now.

"I think they're in the barn."

She turned her head a fraction to the left so she could see Tyler out of the corner of her eye. He was staring intently at something in the barn that she had yet to register. He had always been better at spotting things than her and this time she was grateful. Him spotting something in the barn could have meant life or death for one of them. Probably Caleb considering he was the one in the barn battling it out with Chase.

When Pogue gave a nod of approval they all moved towards the barn as one. The only thing they had working for them now was each other and, hopefully, the element of surprise.

About ten feet from the barn, Pogue gave a halting signal and they lined up shoulder to shoulder again, waiting for what was going to happen next. When no one seemed to take notice of them and a struggle was still heard from inside the barn, Pogue turned to Reid.

"Give him the signal," he whispered lowly. One of his eyes was still trained on the barn while the other watched everyone in the line. His glance paused on her for a few seconds but she couldn't hold it, not when she knew what might happen next. Not when she hadn't told him the truth.

_"Just stand here and tell me the truth." He was struggling to keep his voice low but she didn't think it matter if it was low or not. The boys were listening about fifteen feet away from them anyway so he might as well have talked loud enough so they didn't have to strain. They were probably going to find out later anyway._

_"I'm not going to stand here and tell you anything," was her calm reply. She had to grit her teeth to keep her voice that way, though. The thing she really wanted to do was throw herself in his arms and cry, tell him that she really did love him and that there was no way she was going to let him go again._

_But she didn't. Because she couldn't._

_She had been through it in her head a thousand times, over and over again. All the situations had turned out the same, with her hurt and him somewhere else, not with her. Sometimes even with Kate._

_And she couldn't stand any of them coming true._

_She was going to keep her distance like she had promised herself a long time ago. Before she had gotten on the plane to come back. Before she had even started packing her bags._

_"Just tell me!" He didn't try and keep his voice low this time. His anger was leaking out and making it impossible for him to keep anything strait, even his eyes were darting back and forth, looking her over._

_"Idon'tloveyou." It came out as a jumbled mess and the only thing she could do was kick herself. She was just going to have to say it again because she knew he couldn't understand her. She was going to have to endure the pain of saying it again when she should have just said it clear the first time. "I don't love you," she said again, this time slower. She knew it was a lie and the three boys behind Pogue probably knew it too. The only one that didn't know it was Pogue and Robby figured it was better that way._

Reid let out a shrill whistle Robby hoped Caleb could hear over the raucous. She hoped he remembered it was the signal too and wasn't too distracted to notice. If he didn't remember though, they were all going to end up going into the barn and their element of surprise would probably be ruined. They needed every break they could get.

The struggle in the barn seemed to be getting louder and she wondered if it was because the fight was getting closer to the door. Reid had probably wondered the same thing because he looked like he had stepped into some sort of ready position. She thought about doing the same but figured no "ready position" could actually ready her for what was going to happen.

It was happening before she knew it, though, and Caleb was flying out the doors in their direction. But he was literally flying with the force Chase had hit him with which none of them had expected. She had to admit it shook her a bit more then she would have liked.

The only good thing about it was that Chase actually looked surprised to see the whole Covenant standing in front of him. The element of surprise had actually worked.

She tried not to watch as Caleb stumbled to his feet and took his spot next to Pogue. He looked like he had been through hell and back. Half of his shirt was singed and there was blood running done the length of his face from what looked like a cut on his forehead. He had a small limp, too, that she had noticed when he had finally moved. Whatever had happened before the rest of them had gotten there, had probably been really bad.

The laugh that Chase let out sent shivers all the way down her spine. It was cold and pure evil and it made him look even more insane than he already was with his pure black eyes.

He was readying himself seconds after his amused laugh though and Robby braced herself, sure the hit would come to her because she was closest to him.

But then Caleb was counting in a shaky voice and the sound was making the plan register in her mind. She let herself relax and summon all of her strength just like the rest of the boys and she knew by three that all five of them were going to let hell rein down on one Chase Collins. For a moment she felt confident. Like nothing in the world could touch her.

It passed quickly though and the number two came and went and three was just making it's way past Caleb's lips.

She could feel the air rippling as the four boys and herself started to release. But she could feel Chase's side of things getting rippled too and knew he was just as ready as they were.

Three came sooner then two had and there was no time to think, just act.

She released and watched almost as if she was out of her body as all five of their waves of power merged into one and headed for Chase.

It hit with a surge of power Chase had let out but his couldn't stop the whole mass of their power and most of it kept speeding towards him.

But there was something wrong, something else going on. She could feel it pulling at her, making her arms cling to her sides. She struggled against it but it wasn't enough.

Just as the wave finally hit Chase she surged forward, her face frozen with horror.

When she finally got in the air she could move her arms but the only thing she thought to do was reach towards Pogue, to reach towards the Covenant, and beg for help with her eyes.

This was what she had feared since birth, death.

Maybe she had told everyone she wasn't afraid of it, wasn't afraid of the 'Grim Reaper', but deep down she knew it wasn't true. Deep down she was more afraid of dieing then anything else. Then even losing her brother. She was afraid because she didn't know what else was out there, waiting for her on the other side. And unknown things as big as that scared her. Death scared her beyond imagine.

And it was happening.

Right now.

She let out a whimpered, "please," right before her body seemed to catch fire and the bright orange light swallowed her.

**Heh? PLEASE don't kill me. I've already got the plot ready for the next one! I swear! It will be up soon! As soon as most of the readers get to read this chapter. I promise!! cowers**


	24. Sequel

Sequel's up guys!  
Go look it up on the profile!  
It's called Where Soul Meets Body. 


	25. Prequel

**Hey guys! I wanted to let everyone know that there is now a prequel out to Take Cover. It takes place before Robby leaves when her and Pogue are beginning their relationship. It's called We Can Learn to Love Again. Check it out. I hope it does better than the sequel I tried to do (that no one had interest in).**


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